LWV Launches Children’s Voting Exhibit at St. George Museum
By partnering with the League of Women Voters to introduce a voting exhibit at our new satellite location in St. George, we’re nurturing the next generation of informed and engaged citizens. Together, we’re building a brighter future where every child knows their power to make a difference.
That declaration from Karen S. Coltrane, president and CEO of the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry, marks the opening of a new interactive voting and civic education exhibit housed in the freshly renovated St. George Rosenwald School in Dorchester County. The installation is designed to introduce the concepts of voting and individual decision-making to children and families through age-appropriate activities spread across four dedicated educational rooms.
The museum development aims to serve as a community destination for family visits and regional school field trips across the tri-county area. Studies cited by museum leadership show that political involvement and voting habits are frequently modeled by families across generations.
History of the St. George Rosenwald School Site
The facility hosting the new museum space carries deep historical significance for the rural South. Between 1913 and 1932, roughly 5,000 Rosenwald Schools were constructed as a collaborative initiative between Booker T. Washington of the Tuskegee Institute and Julius Rosenwald, the president of Sears Roebuck. The building program specifically targeted educational equity to counter strict rural segregation.
Several notable Black leaders and public figures received their early education within the historical network of Rosenwald Schools. That list includes author Maya Angelou, civil rights leader John Lewis, and state Senator Vernon Stevens.
Funding and Community Support for the Dorchester County Project
Development of the satellite museum and its specialized civic exhibit relied on outside financial backing. Museum administrators noted that the project was made possible by the generous contributions of private donors. The funding supports the outfitting of the four educational rooms inside the historic schoolhouse.
The collaboration with the League of Women Voters establishes a community partnership aimed at expanding voter literacy from an early age.