The Museum takes the trunk to local school and community centers to educate people on what life was like in Cupertino. Children in Cupertino also have the opportunity to learn about the history of the city in which they live or go to school. Since 1978, the Traveling Trunk has shared the story of life in Cupertino through memorabilia, from horseshoes to high button shoes, teaching children about the history of Cupertino.
Many objects also encourage students to compare early schooling and their current school experience.
Ethel Worn, director of the Cupertino Historical Society Museum, said the Traveling Trunk will begin visiting fourth-grade classrooms in March, and will continue through June, visiting all the elementary schools in Cupertino. Worn said the trunk is also presented to other youth organizations, such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and 4-H clubs. The latter was placed on a wooden stove while the toast was turned over by hand. In the mid-1970s, an article from the Smithsonian Magazine was presented at a Cupertino Historical Society meeting that described how a collection of historical items was taken to school groups. At the schools, children were given a program about daily life in the past.