History Teacher Adda Maria Santos, Students of Somerville High School’s Local History Club and the Somerville Museum Win 2021 AASLH Award of Excellence

The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) proudly announces that Somerville High School history teacher Adda Maria Santos, the students of Somerville High School’s Local History Club, the Somerville Museum and museum professional Jodie Smith are the recipients of an Award of Excellence for “The Basement Project.” The AASLH Leadership in History Awards, now in its 76th year, is the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history.

Inspired by teacher Adda Maria Santos’ curiosity about the Somerville Museum’s historic collections, stored in the Museum’s basement, students from the High School Local History Club curated an exhibit called “The Basement Project: Not Your Usual Basement Junk.” Each student was empowered to select items from the Museum’s collections, to write about the history of these objects, and to share their thoughts about what they learned with the public. Santos saw the project as an opportunity for students to do history, not just read about it in a textbook, and to think like historians.  The wonderful student curators who shared their stories and perspectives are: Silas Booth (SHS ’21), Brian Jian Chan (SHS ’20), Elisa Dimagiba (SHS ’20), Isaias Hernandez Rivera (SHS ’21), Owen Hughes (SHS ’20), Ana Kawsar (SHS ’22), Alex Leite (SHS ’20), Marisa Lopez (SHS ’22), Ryann Mack (SHS ’23), Isabella Milanowski (SHS ’21), Esmay Pricejones (SHS ’21), Mozn Shora (SHS ’20) and Lola Vira (SHS ’20). Congratulations to all of the graduating seniors. This project was supported in part by a grant from the Somerville Arts Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. The project’s public programming was made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

This year, AASLH is proud to confer thirty-eight national awards honoring people, projects, exhibits, and publications. The winners represent the best in the field and provide leadership for the future of state and local history.

The Somerville Museum was also recognized by the AASLH in 2020. The Museum, along with participating congregations, scholars, photographers, filmmakers, musicians, sound engineers, artists and curator Charan Devereaux, was awarded a 2020 Leadership in History Award of Excellence for the project, “Faith in a City: Exploring Religion in Somerville, Massachusetts.” “Faith in a City” was exhibited at the Somerville Museum from November 2019 to February 2020, in conjunction with a series of related public programs.

 The AASLH awards program was initiated in 1945 to establish and encourage standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history throughout the United States. The AASLH Leadership in History Awards not only honor significant achievement in the field of state and local history, but also bring public recognition of the opportunities for small and large organizations, institutions, and programs to make contributions in this arena. For more information about the Leadership in History Awards, contact AASLH at 615-320-3203, or go to www.aaslh.org.

Founded in 1897, the Somerville Museum is the City of Somerville’s mirror, playing a central role in preserving the past, reflecting the present, and helping to shape the future of this diverse urban community. Through its innovative programming, the Museum seeks to engage the city in an on-going dialogue with local artists, scholars, and educators with the larger aim of fostering cultural education and understanding.

The Somerville Public Schools is one of the top urban districts in the state of Massachusetts. The district serves a richly diverse and dynamic population of approximately 5,000 students grades Pre-Kindergarten through 12, including more than 1,200 students at Somerville High School. SPS is a multicultural school community dedicated to the realization of the full intellectual, physical, social, and emotional potential of all students.

The American Association for State and Local History is a not-for-profit professional organization of individuals and institutions working to preserve and promote history. From its headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, AASLH provides leadership, service, and support for its members who preserve and interpret state and local history in order to make the past more meaningful to all people. AASLH publishes books, technical publications, a quarterly magazine, and maintains numerous affinity communities and committees serving a broad range of constituents across the historical community. The association also sponsors an annual meeting, regional and national training in-person workshops, and online training.