Historical Experiences presents: Minnesota in the Great War
Arn Kind did several programs throughout our region to educate children and adults alike about "the Great War." 2017 marked the 100th anniversary of the America's entry into World War I. Arn Kind's program commemorated the contributions and sacrifices made by Minnesotans during World War I. His re-enactments, props, costumes, music and video all contribute to his presentation, making complicated history come alive. His engaging demeanor and exciting delivery make this history fun and relevant, even to young children.
347 participated
We expected that this program would teach patrons something new about WWI, and would show them a new perspective on our history as a nation, and as a state. We expected that, given Arn's reputation and popularity in our region, he would engage and connect with people of all ages, and make confusing Minnesota history understandable and relevant. We distributed evaluation forms immediately following the program that measured patron responses, gathered information about what they learned and weighed why they may or may not have enjoyed the program.
99% of respondents said that after watching this program, they learned something new about WWI, and/or the contributions of Minnesotans to The Great War. 99% of respondents said that they enjoyed this program because it helped them to increase their knowledge, or better understand a topic. 88% of respondents claimed that this program increased their interest in Minnesota's History and/or WWI. We collected dozens of public comments, including, "what a wonderful learning experience for my students," and "Arn Kind is an incredible educator/performer" and "Excellent- I didn't realize the complexities of WWI."
In Greenbush, our librarian had 19.5 hours of volunteer help. They helped to set up the presentation area and break it down. They also provided bars, coffee and kool-aid. We value this contribution at around $250. In Hallock, our librarian had help setting up and breaking down after the program. We value this contribution at about $50.