Bringing History to Life: Education Trunks Connecting Oklahoma’s Diverse Communities

Posted on March 26, 2025 Updated on March 26, 2025

To engage Oklahoma students with the rich, yet often overlooked, history and culture of the state, a transformative educational initiative was launched—creating two educational “exhibit in a box” trunks available for teachers to check out at no cost. These trunks focused on topics vital to understanding Oklahoma’s diverse communities: Latinos in Oklahoma and Migration and Oklahoma. By making these resources accessible to educators across the state, the project aimed to preserve and share the histories of Oklahoma’s people while supporting classroom learning.

Oklahoma is home to many communities, including a large Latino population, and the educational gaps regarding their contributions and stories have been significant. For example, many of the histories and experiences of Latinos in Oklahoma were undocumented, making research and preservation essential.

The project proposed created two educational trunks, one focused on Latinos in Oklahoma and the other on Migration and Oklahoma. The trunks were designed to be comprehensive educational resources that can be checked out by teachers, community organizations, and other educators, offering a hands-on way to engage students in learning about Oklahoma’s diverse history.

Research, Community Engagement, and Collaboration

Because the history of Latinos in Oklahoma had not been widely documented, the team involved community experts. By working closely with local leaders, historians, and community members, the project grew beyond the original scope. Not only were the trunks developed, but valuable partnerships were formed, new educational materials were created, and additional resources for future research were collected. This collaboration allowed for a deeper understanding of the subject matter and ensured that the trunks would resonate with the communities they represented.

Impact on Students, Teachers, and the Community

The Latinos in Oklahoma trunk has had a significant impact on students. For many, it fills a critical gap in their understanding of the state’s history. For example, one teacher shared how the trunk materials enabled her students to connect with the subject matter in a deeper, more meaningful way than traditional textbooks could. Beyond classrooms, the project has also inspired new academic work. Jorge Luis Chavez, a public history graduate student at Oklahoma State University, used the research materials created for the trunk in his thesis and joined the team in a new role—showcasing how the project has led to further opportunities for the next generation of scholars.

The project’s broader impact extends beyond the classroom. For instance, oral histories from members of the Latino community are now being collected and preserved for future research. These histories are included in the trunks and are being sent to research libraries for broader access. The partnership with Oklahoma City Public Schools’ Language and Cultural Services department has been instrumental. The department has helped refine the trunks and will support English Language Learners (ELLs), particularly through the inclusion of stories from newcomer students in the book Where the Rainbow Ends. This collaboration has emphasized the importance of culturally relevant, hands-on materials for ELL students.

Expanding Reach and Impact

As both trunks become available to a broader range of educators, they will become an integral part of Oklahoma’s educational landscape. With additional partnerships, continuous feedback, and the ongoing creation of supplementary materials, these trunks will play a key role in helping students across Oklahoma connect with the state’s rich and diverse history.

This project stands as a testament to the power of collaboration, education, and the importance of preserving the stories of all communities.

To request a trunk or view its contents, please visit https://www.okhistory.org/historycenter/trunktopics