All homeschool students are invited to participate in Historic Columbia’s Homeschool Friday programs taking place on the first Friday of the month. Each month’s program is from 10 am - 11:30 am and includes hands-on activities while students learn and explore different themes and historic sites at Historic Columbia. The cost is $5 per student and reservations are suggested. Program participants should gather in the Gift Shop at Robert Mills on the day of the program unless otherwise noted. Homeschool Friday programs are designed for students of elementary and middle school age levels.
Questions and reservations should be directed to Celia Galens, Engagement Coordinator, at email@example.com or 803.252.1770 x 26
Upcoming Homeschool Friday Programs
February 6 | Columbia in the Civil War
As Columbia remembers the 150th anniversary of the fire that swept through the city upon the arrival of the Union army in February 1865, we will look at the role Columbia played during the Civil War. This program will explore the industries, people, and events surrounding Columbia in the Civil War.
March 6 | Schools in the 19th Century
From one-room school houses to the colleges that occupied the Hampton-Preston Mansion and Robert Mills House at the end of the 1800s, schools and universities in Columbia were quite different than they are today. Students will take part in a variety of activities to see how students packed for college, what they ate, sports they played, and the degrees that they earned. Students can handle a 100-year-old textbook and complete an assignment using a quill pen.
April 3 | Robert Mills House as a Seminary
Few people realize that the Robert Mills House was never used as a private residence; shortly after it was completed, the home was turned into a seminary. This program will explore the history of the site as a seminary and other religious educational institutions. Activities will also incorporate some of the key individuals associated with the seminary, including Woodrow Wilson’s father, Dr. Joseph Wilson.
May 1 | Games of the 19th Century
Homeschool students will participate in several 19th-century games as they learn what it was like to be a kid 150 years ago. Some popular games today have their roots in the 19th century. Students will take part in a games played in the past such as croquet, hoop and stick, “Shepherdess and the Wolf,” “Hide the Thimble,” “Graces,” “Up Jenkins” and more. Get ready to have fun and give up those video games for a couple of hours!