Friends of Sutter's Fort Establishes the Carolyn Elder Field Trip Award
To honor the legacy of valued member of Friends of Sutter’s Fort, dedicated Sutter’s Fort docent volunteer, and respected educator Carolyn Elder, Friends of Sutter's Fort has established the Carolyn Elder Field Trip Award.
Known for her love of learning, her costume designs and amazing sewing skills, thousands of parents, students, and volunteers regularly turned to Ms. Elder as they prepared to participate in school programs at Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park (SHP) and other historic sites.
The Carolyn Elder Field Trip Award will provide funding for students from Elk Grove Unified School District to attend onsite programs at Sutter's Fort SHP.
About Carolyn Elder
Carolyn Elder attended CSU, Sacramento earning a B.A. in Theatre Arts, and a M.A. with an emphasis in Arts Education. She became a middle school theatre teacher at Elk Grove Unified School District. Ms. Elder was a Fellow of the California Arts Project and worked on the State of California’s writing committees for the California Visual and Performing Arts Framework and California State Standards. In 2008, the American Association for Educational Theatre (AATE) awarded her the Lin Wright Award for “most improving theatre education for students, kindergarten through twelfth grade, in the United States.”
While working at Elk Grove Unified School District, she created Costumes Enough, a clothing rental company that assisted thousands of students participating in living history programs. She continued working with students even after she began her fight against pancreatic cancer.
Carolyn understood the power that field trips have in helping students better understand what they are learning about in school and donated many hours to volunteering with school programs at Sutter's Fort.
Carolyn was an active docent at Sutter's Fort SHP, where she provided expertise in historic dress. She volunteered with many Friends of Sutter's Fort events, Girl Scout Program and other public programs.
About the Carolyn Elder Field Trip Award
Friends of Sutter's Fort has established the Carolyn Elder Field Trip Award to honor the legacy of Carolyn Elder at Sutter's Fort SHP. Through sales of costumes and individual donations, this fund will provide grants to schools in the Elk Grove School District where Carolyn taught for so many years. More details about how to apply for an award will be posted in the coming months.
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