Old school at the museum

Anyone who attended school in the Central Okanagan in years past can get ready for a big dose of nostalgia with the newest exhibit at the Okanagan Heritage Museum in Kelowna.

Old School: A Look Back at School Life in Kelowna, looks at the evolution of local schools, from one-room schoolhouses to the modern institutions we know today.

“Most of the area’s early schools were simple one-room classrooms with various grades learning together. There was typically a stove for heat, which the children had to help maintain, rows of wooden desks and a chalkboard,” said Amanda Snyder, curatorial manager for the Kelowna Museums Society.

“In the early years, students and teachers did most things themselves. They were typically responsible for cleaning the classroom – and the outhouse!”

The exhibition was inspired by a generous donation of school-related objects and archival materials from the Central Okanagan Retired Teachers Association (CORTA).

“We were grateful to receive so many pieces of Kelowna’s scholarly past last year. CORTA donated everything from desks and globes to pull-down maps, sports equipment and gym uniforms, many of which are on display,” Snyder said.

“One of my favourite things on display though are the old yearbooks we’ve selected. It’s interesting to see the changes in style and language throughout the decades, and to see what was important to students at the time.”

The exhibition will invite you to reminisce about your own experiences and appreciate the history that shaped education in Kelowna.

“We hope the visitors will have as much fun going through the exhibition as we did making it. The business of learning can be serious, but we’ve taken a mostly lighthearted approach to the topic,” Snyder continued.

The exhibition will be on display at the Okanagan Heritage Museum (470 Queensway Ave) from Oct. 12, 2024 to March 2, 2025.