Exhibition Fact Sheet from the National Building Museum

Investigating Where We Live: Fact Sheet

Investigating Where We Live

Created by the Museum in 1996, Investigating Where We Live is a summer program teaching young people the design process through photography, creative writing, and exhibition design. Through neighborhood explorations, seventh through tenth grade students from the DC metro area learn how to analyze and interpret their communities and the built environment. At the end of the program students show their mastery of the process by designing and presenting a final exhibition of their work.

Meeting twice a week over five weeks, participants learn photography techniques and writing skills by working with professionals and Museum educators. Students explore neighborhoods, keep journals, complete creative writing assignments, participate in workshops, and present their work in front of their peers and teachers. Students also research the history and development of DC neighborhoods, analyzing cultural, political, and media influences, and are introduced to complex issues like urban renewal, commercial development, and gentrification. The program culminates with students working in groups to design and create an exhibition of their photography and work.

The Investigating Where We Live program helps students develop:

• proficiency in the use of photography as a tool to explore a neighborhood and the built environment;
• experience in articulating ideas effectively through creative writing exercises related to the students’ photographs and the neighborhoods;
• knowledge and understanding of the physical, social, and cultural components of a specific neighborhood;
• ability to work as a part of a team with students from different backgrounds and neighborhoods;
• experience in organizing research and information, and communicating ideas effectively; and
• success in the design and production of an exhibition to be displayed at the National Building Museum.

Major funding for Investigating Where We Live is provided by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities and The Beech Street Foundation. Additional support for outreach programs is provided by Fannie Mae Foundation, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, The Clark Charitable Foundation, and The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, among others.

The National Building Museum is America’s leading cultural institution dedicated to exploring and celebrating architecture, design, engineering, construction, and planning. Chartered by Congress in 1980 and open to the public since 1985, the Museum has become a vital forum for exchanging ideas and information about the built environment through its exhibitions, education programs, and publications. The Museum is located at 401 F Street NW, Washington, D.C. Museum hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm. Admission is free. Museum Shop. Café. Public inquiries: 202.272.2448 or visit www.nbm.org.