This feature highlights the Best in Show winner of the 2014 NEMA Publication Awards competition. We chatted with Jennifer Pollick, Manager of Education Programs at Greater Portland Landmarks, to learn more about their winning entry, The City is a Classroom: A Kid's Guide to Portland's Landmarks and History.

Give us a brief description of The City is a Classroom: A Kid's Guide to Portland's Landmarks and History. How did the idea for this activity guide come about?

The City is a Classroom is in its 3^rd edition. The prior two editions were published solely by Greater Portland Landmarks. Sometime in 2011 or 2012 the new Education Director at Victoria Mansion contacted me about the materials I used as a pre-visit packet for the local third grade. I cited our The City is a Classroom workbook then called The City is a Classroom: A Kid’s Guide to Landmarks in Portland, 2^nd edition. I knew in 2010 when I was hired by Greater Portland Landmarks that The City is a Classroom was low on stock and desperately needed to be updated. The Education Director at Victoria Mansion got me thinking. As historic sites in a small city we all see the exact same children during the school year. Why should we individually develop a general overview of Portland history and double the efforts for the classroom teacher. I began coordinating all of the Portland historic site educators, and we met regularly for about a year, and using the original workbook as our jumping off point we expanded the new version to include a more in-depth social history as well as the architectural history of Portland. It was great fun working with my colleagues.??

The Kid's Guide lists several collaborating organizations, ranging from Portland Landmarks to Maine Historical Society, the Friends of Evergreen Cemetery to the Portland Public Schools. What was the process like working with so many different institutions and voices?

Actually, we were nine organizations (including the Public Schools), but the activities pages included 10 histories and activities. This is because in addition to the Portland Observatory we also included a section for Greater Portland Landmarks and The Eastern Cemetery, which we felt were important parts of Portland’s social and architectural history. It was sometimes a challenge working with so many voices, but at the same time it was a joy. Luckily, we weren’t starting completely from scratch, we had a basis in the 2^nd edition of The City is a Classroom. In addition we are sites that collaborate each year with our docent recruitment and training program called The Portland’s History Docent Program (PHD), now in its 20^th year. The challenges often came when the sites that don’t have paid staff needed to rely on volunteers who may not be trained educators, or may not have had the time to really develop an activity for their site. I first began by asking everyone to send me the pre-visit materials they already used. I drew on that information for the general history portion and the timeline of the workbook. Next I asked each site to submit a one page history and an activity for their site. I also worked with a professional editor and graphic designer. Once I had all of the information compiled I began to put together the workbook. The first draft was very raw. I honestly couldn’t have done this without my editor. She is an editor for Scholastic and has a great understanding of the state learning standards and Common Core Curriculum used here in Maine. Together, we scrutinized the submissions and reached out to our contacts at the sites for edits. Sometimes we edited the texts ourselves. Occasionally, while working with the editor, we would have a great idea for re-working of a specific site activity. I would draft the new activity and send it to the site educator for approval and input. It was a really great process. I actually had two sites which are run by volunteers ask me to develop their activity page. It was fun for me to have the opportunity to really dive into a whole new area of Portland history.

One of the best parts about collaborating with so many was the access and use of each site’s photographic and image collections, especially the Maine Historical Society (MHS). As the State’s history depository right here in Portland, MHS also owns and operates the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow House, included in the workbook. Access to their image collections made the project much more cost effective and allowed us to produce the workbook in full-color.

Once we were in the final rounds of editing we invited 6 local third grade teachers to give us their input. We wanted the workbook to be used. We knew it looked beautiful, but we wanted it to be easy for teachers to use in the classroom. Their initial response was so gratifying. As we spent three hours going through the workbook, they had some fantastic ideas for edits and re-writes. With their help, we ended up with a great teaching tool.

Tell us about the process of road testing the guide with teachers, families, and your community partners. What kind of feedback did you get, and how did you incorporate it into this edition of the guide?

As I stated above, the teacher input was the most important part of the project. In order to involve the teachers, I needed the support of the school district. I contacted David Galin, Chief Academic Officer for Portland Public Schools. He was my key to getting teachers involved. I gave him a list of the teachers I knew used the older version of the workbook, and the teachers who came to the Portland Observatory every year. Together we found a date to invite the teachers to our offices for an after school teacher enrichment, so they were able to use the time towards their continuing education units. In addition I offered them a discount on their field trips in the coming season, and provided lunch. We hosted seven teachers from four elementary schools in Portland.

There were two sections of the workbook where teachers provided extensive feedback. This required significant rewriting. They also asked for an additional section which required reorganizing the layout. But these three major suggestions are what gave the teachers their voice and made the workbook usable in the classroom. There were minor suggestions as well. For example, they suggested we use a flame graphic when we cited the many fires in Portland’s history. They were also thrilled that even though this was a much larger workbook, and in full color, unlike the black and white workbook of past, we would still offer it free to every child in the district who asked for it every year.

In an age of computers, tablets, and the internet, children and adults are so used to getting information in a fast and colorful way. Doing the extra fundraising to allow us to design the entire workbook in color has made it extremely popular. One of our collaborating teachers has told me she gives her students the workbook and allows them two days to just look at it, without any teaching about it or from it. They love all the color and imagery.

One of the biggest surprises after we launched the workbook was the interest so many adults have in it. We use it as a training tool for our volunteers at the Portland Observatory. And it isn’t just local people who are purchasing it. People from all over the country have picked up copies. It is sold at our collaborating sites and a couple of local independent bookstores. Its popularity with adults is amazing.

This guide took home Best in Show in the 2014 NEMA Publication Awards because of the effortless way it balances well-researched information and fun activities. It's portable, interactive, and engaging for both kids and their adult caretakers. It's clear you took the time to think about who would pick up this guide and how they'd use it. Any tips for organizations looking to develop similar work?

My best advice to anyone engaging in a project like this is as follows: create a long timeline, do the research necessary to know exactly how much your project will cost, surround yourself with the best in their field, including an editor, graphic designer, printer, and colleagues. I checked facts on history. It’s not possible to be an expert on everything and there are plenty of people out there who want to share their knowledge: let them. Mostly, do the project because you enjoy doing it and you know the students will benefit, that was my driving force. I knew it was a great final outcome, when the schools made it a mandatory text for third through fifth grade, but I certainly didn’t do it to win a prize. It was just plain fun.

We were very lucky with this project, so much was given to us to make it a success from the photographs and images, to the cooperation of the Public Schools, our talented graphic designer Ann Casady, and our editor Ruth Townsend Story. In addition, the front cover artwork was donated by an artist in England who has never even set foot in Portland. When we asked her if she’d create the image for us, she happily said yes because she thought it was a good project to be associated with her work. And of course it is important to mention the generous supporters and donors who gave us the necessary funds to be able to produce the workbook and give it away to children in the classroom.