Abbe Museum

Purpose: Supporting Lifelong Learning The project will make historically accurate, culturally appropriate information about Wabanaki culture, history, and archaeology available to a worldwide audience through a redeveloped and redesigned Abbe Museum Web site. The project will support lifelong learning by developing the museum's past, existing, and future exhibitions for the Web site as intellectually stimulating, multiage exhibition modules. Each module will be supported and enhanced by interactive educational components that engage online visitors in dynamic explorations of Wabanaki history. The Web site content will be built around the 12,000-year time line of Wabanaki history "From the Present to the Past," a content- and image-rich permanent exhibition at the Abbe. The time line module will be linked with other exhibition modules, such as the 2002 exhibition "Four Mollys: Women of the Dawn." Other online content will include supportive materials for teacher workshops, designed to prepare educators to respond to new state legislation requiring that Maine Native American history and culture be taught in Maine's schools, and for school programs. The Web site will establish the museum's online presence as a leader in Wabanaki studies and build support for the Abbe among potential museum visitors, members, and donors, and museum shop customers.