Elkhorn Valley Museum hosts summer camp for children to learn about the underground railroad

The Elkhorn Valley Museum has been hosting a summer camp that teaches children about the underground railroad. The camp is organized by Libby Mckay, as she explains the importance of the camp to our youth.

“There were multiple routes through various states for freedom seekers to escape that situation,” McKay said. “Nebraska is a very small part of it; the route that would’ve been used would have been for freedom seekers escaping from Missouri mostly, and coming through the southeast corner of Nebraska.”   

The camp includes day-round activities that incorporate lessons of the underground railroad and the significance it plays in Nebraska. 

“We have had various activities that we’ll do,” Mckay said. “We made some lanterns, we did a   scavenger hunt that was based on clues in the same way that a lot of information regarding the underground railroad would have been coded. We are going to play various physical activities and we did a mapping activity as well. All of these connect to the history of the underground railroad.”

The camp started on June 12th and will conclude on the 16th, before starting back up again in July. 

Zain McKay, one of the students and Libby’s son, recalls his favorite thing that he learned about that time period. 

“My favorite thing that I have learned is that Abraham Lincoln started the war and ended the war,” Zain said. 

McKay (Libby) explains the importance and the role that Nebraska played during the time of the underground railroad.

“It’s a piece that even though we played a small part of as a Nebraska territory, is still an important part of Nebraska history, McKay said.” I think having that understanding of sort of what people were willing to do and sacrifice to help other people is just an important life lesson. I am a firm believer that we can all help in some way and so I think some of those stories of the station masters, conductors, and the people who really put a lot on the line to help people live a better life is an important story to share.” 

The life lessons embedded in our history are the important lessons we must teach our kids for a better tomorrow.