A Hometown History patch will be awarded to Girl Scouts who have successfully completed the project. Too many Americans are growing up with no real sense of history, said Dr. Libby O'Connell, historian for The History Channel. We developed Hometown History to help kids understand the concept of change over time within their own communities, while having a great time exploring the past. Hometown History has been endorsed by The American Association for State and Local History. Too many young people in America are growing up without a strong sense of history.
Many kids think history is boring and irrelevant.
But The History Channel, our cable company, and the Girl Scouts of the USA are working to change that. The activities include oral history, community history, and architectural history. They are designed to help girls learn about the nature of historical change while exploring unique aspects of the past in a local context. But generating enthusiasm for history in young people can give them a lifelong interest in understanding the rich complexities of our past. As cited in Newsday, Vol.