2025-527-E-Economic Dev-Historical Foundation of Hillsborough and Orange County-Outside Agency

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Short description of proposed use of funds. The Museum will use funds to educate the public about Orange County’s history with the development, design, and presentation of a permanent gallery and special exhibits as well as through free programs, activities, and tours for both formal and informal learning groups, and by collecting, preserving, and making publically available artifacts and research files about family and local history. In the past several years, the Museum has been growing its reputation through quality exhibits and programs. We are the only history museum in the county (as opposed to the historic sites that are limited in their interpretive scope). As such, we are the only organization that seeks to tell the full story of Orange County's history and all of its residents, past and present. This is a responsibility we take very seriously. Accordingly, we have transitioned to having two full-time 40-hour/week employees who have received periodic raises to stay aligned with the living wage for Orange County and to keep the positions competitive. These additional staffing hours have increased the services we have been able to provide and have afforded the museum the ability to continue to be available to the public seven days a week. Our staff ’s knowledge and enthusiasm ensure all visitors have enjoyable and rewarding experiences. This includes providing tours of exhibits, assisting with research requests, and connecting researchers to community members who are subject area experts. Accordingly, it is vital that the Museum retains staff who are passionate about the organization and who possess institutional and community knowledge as well as scholarly expertise, along with research and interpersonal skills. The experience of visiting the Orange County Historical Museum is not one that can be replicated with an impersonal website or virtual exhibit; it is a personal experience that attracts new and returning visitors, all thanks to our incredible staff. A portion of the funding would be used to pay the salaries of staff operating the museum. The Orange County Historical Museum displays a permanent exhibit that tells the story of Orange County's history, from prehistory through the 20th century. This narrative is inclusive of all of the people who have called Orange County home throughout its history. The permanent exhibit is periodically updated with new artifacts and themes to keep it fresh and interesting for new and returning visitors. In addition to the permanent exhibit, the Museum produces a new special exhibit each year. These special exhibits focus on select themes from the larger story of Orange County History and present them in innovative and creative ways with an emphasis on community engagement and proactively sharing more contemporary stories. A portion of the funding would be used to pay salaries of staff who are developing, researching, writing, fabricating, and installing these exhibits as well as purchase items, materials, supplies, and printing needed to produce these exhibits. One of our biggest priorities continues to be providing educational opportunities for the K-12 residents of Orange County. This includes hosting field trips, providing lesson plans and other educational resources to teachers, making traveling trunks available to schools, and hosting age- appropriate educational activities. A portion of the funding will be used to pay salaries of staff creating, planning, and facilitating these opportunities as well as purchase necessary supplies. Docusign Envelope ID: 8BDB0FD7-58AF-419E-8601-C921DEA1421D