School Programs

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The Oneida Community Mansion House is a premier field trip destination in Central New York. Our on-site programs are designed for students of all ages and can be customized to support a variety of subjects and curriculum needs.

All K-12 programs adhere to NYS standards and have been developed with NYS teachers, librarians, and curriculum specialists.

Programs can range in duration between 2-4 hours.

OCMH does not have on-site food service. School groups are welcome to bring their lunches and eat on site.

All programs cost $8 per student; teachers, chaperones, and bus drivers are free.

OCMH requires 1 adult for every 10 students on site.

Field trip expenses can be offset with funding from your local school district or BOCES. Please inquire with your administrator for more information. OCMH is happy to provide any pertinent documentation to assist you in this process.

For more information and inquiries please contact Tom Guiler, Director of Museum Affairs, tguiler@oneidacommunity.org

Book Your School Field Trip Form

Would You Join the Oneida Community?

(recommended for High School/Middle School)

Students will explore what it was like to live, work, and play in the Oneida Community, including the opportunities, hardships, lifestyle, and day to day life through a guided tour of the Mansion House and an investigation of artifacts and objects that support students in answering the question: Would you join the Oneida Community?

This program includes:

A customized guided tour of the Mansion House.
A graphic organizer for students to write down observations, insights, and facts from their tour.
A guided discussion about the pros and cons of joining the Community.

This program meets the following NYS practices: Gathering, Interpreting and Using Evidence, Chronological Reasoning, Comparison and Contextualization, Geographic Reasoning, Economic and Economic Systems, Civic Participation

This program meets the following NYS Social Studies Standards: 7.6; 7.7; 7.8; 8.1; 11.3: 11.4: 11.5

This program meets the following NYS ELA Standards: 6R1; 6W1; 6W6; 7R1; 7W1; 7W6; 8R1; 8W1; 8W6; 11-12R1; 11-12R3; 11-12 R5; 11-12R8; 11-12W1; 11-12W2; 11-12W5; 11-12W6; 11-12W7

Book Your School Field Trip Form

Primary Source Detective?

(recommended for High School)

Students will investigate the beliefs, lives, and industries of the Oneida Community through examining the Mansion House’s extensive collection of archival documents and museum objects.

This program includes:

A customized guided tour of the Mansion House.
Primary Source activity where students examine archival records and objects to answer “Inquiry Based Questions” on the social reform movements of the antebellum era, including abolition, women’s rights, innovation and invention.
Can be customized for different subjects and periods.

This program meets the following NYS Social Studies Practices:

Gathering, Interpreting and Using Evidence, Chronological Reasoning, Comparison and Contextualization, Geographic Reasoning, Economic and Economic Systems, Civic Participation

This program meets the following NYS Social Studies Standards: 11.3; 11.4; 11.5

This program meets the following NYS ELA Standards: 11-12R1; 11-12R3; 11-12 R5; 11-12R8; 11-12W1; 11-12W2; 11-12W5; 11-12W6; 11-12W7

Book Your School Field Trip Form

Create Your Ideal Community

(recommended for Middle School)

During this field trip experience at the Oneida Community Mansion House, students will work together and design their own utopian community taking cues from the history of the Oneida Community.

This program includes:

A customized guided tour of the Mansion House.
A graphic organizer for students to brainstorm and share important elements of their ideal community, such as: family, food, interactions with the outside world, education, location, economics, governance, architecture, entertainment, and more.

This program meets the following NYS Social Studies Standards: 7.6; 7.7; 7.8; 8.1

This program meets the following NYS ELA Standards: 6R1; 6W1; 6W6; 7R1; 7W1; 7W6; 8R1; 8W1; 8W6

Book Your School Field Trip Form

Oneida Community Mansion House is a proud participant in the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor’s Ticket to Ride program, which provides funding to help cover transportation and admission costs.

Learn more about the Ticket to Ride program and register HERE

Outreach & Distance Learning

If you can’t come to us, we can come to you! The Mansion House offers outreach lessons that can bring the Oneida Community’s unique history into your classroom via Video Conferencing.

For more information, please call (315) 363-0745 or email Tom Guiler, Director of Museum Affairs, tguiler@oneidacommunity.org

College & University Groups

OCMH welcomes college and university classes from a wide variety of disciplines.

Please contact Tom Guiler, Director of Museum Affairs, tguiler@oneidacommunity.org to set up your customized experience today!

Looking for Something Different?

OCMH is happy to customize any experience to fit your students’ needs. Please contact Tom Guiler, Director of Museum Affairs, tguiler@oneidacommunity.org to discuss your field trip.

Our educational & public programs are made possible in part by Humanities New York, the John Ben Snow Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts, Sherrill-Kenwood Community Chest, the Central New York Library Resources Council, and individual donors and our members. Thank you!

Virtual Learning