Family
Voices
2006,
Introduction
What
are
museums
and
how
do museums
serve
the
community?
The
Mission
Inn
Foundation/Museum
strives
to preserve
the
art
and
artifacts
of the
104-year-old
Historic
Mission
Inn
by sharing
with
the
public
the
history
and
stories
of these
objects.
The
Museum
provides
educational
knowledge
of the
Mission
Inn
as a
defining
feature
of the
Riverside
community.
Family
Voices
is
a
Mission
Inn
Foundation & Museum
program
that
promotes
our
community’s
heritage. Now
in
its
8
th
year,
the
project
is
an
educational
outreach
program
designed
to
promote
students’
abilities
to
learn
history
and
improve
and
develop
their
oral
and
written
skills.
The
process
conveys
to
the
students
the
importance
of
preserving
their
own
family’s
history
and
heritage.
Family
Voices
is a
six-month
program
that
takes
place
in Riverside
area
school
classrooms
and
on-site
on the
Mission
Inn
Museum.
Students
are
given
the
task
of choosing
a family-related
object
or tradition
and
conducting
research
on their
chosen
subject
with
their
families.
Project
artists-
including
a writer,
a storyteller/singer,
and
a photographer-
work
with
the
students
through
numerous
workshops
to teach
the
students
how
to preserve
their
family
heritages
through
written,
oral,
and
visual
techniques.
Over
the
years,
the
project
has
culminated
in a
publication,
professional
video,
and
exhibit.
This
year,
the
project
is making
the
leap
into
the
age
of digital
technology.
For
the
first
time,
students,
their
families,
and
the
public
will
see
their
family
stories
on the
Mission
Inn
Museum’s
web
site
in the
form
of Family
Album
pages.
Each
page
consists
of family
photos,
family
stories
written
by the
students,
and
video
clips
of the
students
sharing
their
stories.
As
you
browse
through
Family
Voices
on the
Internet,
we hope
you
enjoy
experiencing
how
the
students
are
contributing
to their
community
by sharing
their
special
stories,
and
see
that
Riverside
is a
heritage
rich
community
that
defines
and
prides
itself
in its
diversified
cultural
history.
