Classroom doors along the hallways at Rose Hill Elementary School have special decorations for Black History Month.

“The goal is to offer an opportunity for the students to experience Black History Month in a way that they would not normally have through history or social studies,” said Rose Hill Principal Damicka Bates. “They are able to select their influential African American who has made an impact on our world today, do research and then decorate their door with any sort of artifacts or information they’ve learned through that research.”

The people highlighted on about two dozen doors include famous names like Harriet Tubman, Kobe Bryant, and George Washington Carver. There are also some lesser known names, such Molly Williams, a former slave who became the first female firefighter, and Henry “Box” Brown.

“He escaped slavery by traveling in a box,” said 3rd grader Savannah. “He had a friend who built this box and he wanted to escape so badly.”

Her classmate, Teagan, is also eager to share what she learned about Brown.

“He was upside down for 13 hours on his head and he could have died doing that. He couldn’t move because he couldn’t make noise so that he wouldn’t get caught,” she said.

A replica of the same size box Brown mailed himself in from Virginia to Pennsylvania is on display in the hallway beside the door to Ms. Martin’s class.

Mrs. Bates says the students get to interact with all the door displays during a scavenger hunt.

“When they decorate their door, they are learning more about their person. The goal of the scavenger hunt is to allow other students in the building to experience and learn about that person as well,” she said.

The sign at the entrance to the school’s driveway has a quote from Benjamin Franklin: “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” Rose Hill students have been deeply involved learning about influential African Americans during the school-wide project for Black History Month.