About Us

Our Mission

To collect, preserve, and share Newaygo County's history and culture.

Join our Team! HMNC is now hiring an Education Coordinator!

Job Title: Education Coordinator

Location: History Museum of Newaygo County
Reports To: Museum Director
Type: Part-Time

Position Overview

The Education Coordinator plays a key role in advancing the mission of the History Museum of Newaygo County: to collect, preserve, and share the rich history and culture of Newaygo County. This position is responsible for developing, coordinating, and evaluating educational programs for students and seniors, managing outreach initiatives, and leading signature museum events such as the annual archaeology dig and monthly speaker series.

Primary Responsibilities

1. School and Student Programming

Collaborate with educators to schedule in-class programs and museum field trips.
Ensure all programming aligns with state curriculum guidelines and appropriate grade levels.
Coordinate with the Volunteer Coordinator to secure trained volunteers for educational sessions.
Develop and deliver volunteer training specific to educational programming.
Lead and support the delivery of classroom and on-site educational experiences.
Design and adapt curriculum to meet evolving student and teacher needs.
Distribute and analyze participant surveys to assess program quality and impact.
Create and promote educational resource kits for teachers to check out and use in-classroom, administer checkouts and maintenance of kits.

2. Program Promotion & Community Engagement

Promote educational offerings for 2nd–5th grade students in collaboration with museum administration.
Identify and build relationships with non-traditional education groups (e.g., parochial, charter, and homeschool organizations).
- Customize programming to meet the unique needs of each group.
- Develop new programs to broaden participation.
Partner with the Director of Advancement to strategize sponsorship opportunities and marketing efforts.

3. Middle & High School Programs

Design and implement after-school programs for middle and high school students.
Work with schools and educators to identify and recruit participants.
Plan and oversee weekly tasks and student engagement.
Collaborate with local nonprofits to create performances, research projects, or student-led presentations.

4. Speaker Series Coordination

Curate a year-round speaker calendar and secure guest presenters.
Organize quarterly special guest events aligned with current museum exhibits.
Coordinate with volunteers for event staffing and logistics.
Partner with the Director of Advancement on marketing and promotional efforts.
Collect and analyze audience feedback through surveys.
Oversee event setup, execution, and cleanup.

5. Program Administration & Funding Support

Work with the Director of Advancement to pursue grants and sponsorships for educational initiatives.
Track instructional hours for reimbursement (e.g., Gerber Foundation).
Prepare and send invoices to schools; assist educators with grant applications (e.g., FACF).
Monitor and record incoming payments and funding usage.
Prepare monthly reports for HMNC Board of Directors, occasionally appear in person at board meetings for networking purposes.
Occasionally attend HMNC functions outside of normal work hours

6. Annual Youth Archaeological Dig

Research and select excavation sites; coordinate permissions and paperwork with landowners.
Organize volunteers and logistics in coordination with the Volunteer Coordinator.
Design a week-long educational syllabus including guest speakers, lunch planning, and student presentations.
Plan and promote a final presentation event for families, including setup, refreshments, and cleanup.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Education, History, Museum Studies, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
Strong organizational and communication skills.
Experience in educational program design and implementation.
Ability to engage with diverse audiences and tailor programs accordingly.
Comfort with public speaking, event coordination, and volunteer management.
Familiarity with grant writing and budget tracking is a plus.
Passion for local history and community engagement.

To Apply

Please submit a resume, cover letter, and three references to Executive Director Steven Radtke

Sradtke@newaygocountyhistory.org

Our Story

The building that houses the Heritage Museum of Newaygo County has had a long and varied history serving the community. Earliest records indicate the structure was built sometime around 1918 as an automotive repair facility and Sinclair Gas Station. About 10 years after opening, an iconic shot of the principal façade (shown here) was taken, and later used as inspiration for the design of future home of the HMNC.

By the early 1930s, a new Standard Oil gas station was built next door, and the building became the City of Newaygo Department of Public Works. At least two expansions, both following the original design, occurred during this time, based on physical and photographic evidence. Two subtle changes in the construction of the exposed roof trusses, as well as oil stains and “ghost marks” from old machinery still visible in the original concrete floor are testimony to these uses.

In the early 1950s, a radical change occurred. The building was heavily renovated and expanded to become the New-Ay Food Mart. A large side addition and a new stepped façade with showcase windows, as well as blond brick cladding, complimented the renewed structure. In the 1960s, another addition housed a laundromat on the rear of the building.

At the same time as all of this was happening, what would eventually become the HMNC was beginning life. Eva Larsen and her brother Enus Swanson opened a museum in Croton in 1964, and by November of 1965, The Newaygo County Historical Society was formed as a non-profit organization and granted 501(c)3 status. In 1973, The Newaygo Museum formed by combining the two entities, and items from the Fremont Grange, the Croton Museum, and donations from the Newaygo area formed a physical collection housed in the Old Powerhouse Building on the river in Newaygo.

The mid-seventies saw another major change to the structure, when it was given yet another façade, and the interior was converted to serve as a recreation hall and office space for the nearby 1st Baptist Church. The interior renovations spoke to their era, with dark paneling in all the rooms, an asbestos-laced dropped ceiling, and harvest gold linoleum flooring. Major systems received a hodgepodge of dubious “updates”. The Museum continued along at the powerhouse, and by 1982, the name was changed to Newaygo County Society of History and Genealogy.

In 2006, the powerhouse building was no longer in a condition to use and was contributing to the deterioration of fragile items, so the Board made the difficult decision to close the Museum, although the society continued. By 2008, the Fremont Area Community Foundation was in possession of the artifacts and partnered with the City of Newaygo to build a storage building to house them. By 2011, due to strong interest in the museum, a temporary site in the city of Newaygo at 12 Quarterline Road was found, and funding was secured through a grant from the Foundation to reopen the Museum. A fundraiser in 2014 raised enough money to purchase 12 Quarterline as a permanent home for the museum.

By 2016, limitations with the aging facility had become apparent, and a committee was formed to investigate the possibility of expansion or relocation. An architect was engaged to draw up plans for a major expansion and remodel of the current facility. Funding to hire a consultant to conduct a feasibility study was secured from the FACF, and the study showed that a capital campaign would most likely be successful. Based on this, the board and staff begin to work toward a capital campaign to fund a remodel and expansion. In 2018, a new director with years of training and experience in Museum management and exhibit design is hired.

Learn more about the building

Details about the latest renovation and how we got there!

Learn More

Research Department

The Terry Wantz Historical Research Center is happy to assist you with many of our local and regional resources in your next heritage research endeavor. We have partnered with the TWHRC in Fremont, who have an excellent facility and a dedicated staff to help with any research needs.