Perdue Farms, through a $3,000 grant funded by The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, is helping the Eastern Shore of Virginia Historical Society expand the reach of its “History In A Box” educational program to fourth-graders in Accomack and Northampton counties. The Foundation is the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms.

“The History In A Box program is a fun and innovative way to bring history to the classrooms of today. I would certainly be excited to see what was in the next box that arrived in my classroom if I were a student,” said Kim Nechay, executive director of the Perdue Foundation. “We at Perdue are honored to be a part of that excitement and the benefits of this program for these children.”

The Historical Society’s History Travels Program launched as “History in a Box” in 2012 with handouts and worksheets provided to teachers to allow them to include Eastern Shore history as part of their Virginia Studies and U.S. history curriculum. The project expanded to include educational artifacts and online components to make the make the information accessible to all learning styles.

Today, the History Travels Program focuses on bringing unique Eastern Shore artifacts into the classroom via wooden shipping crates based on an original design used in commercial shipping on the Chesapeake Bay. Students in the Building and Trades Class at Nandua High School built the crates.

“Perdue’s support of History in a Box has helped the Eastern Shore of Virginia Historical Society provide valuable supplemental education for hundreds of students who would otherwise not experience a hands-on learning experience. The program’s focus on local history allows students to understand how their present is shaped by actions of past Eastern Shoremen and women,” said Hilary Hartnett-Wilson, executive director of the Historical Society. “History in a Box will provide a valuable experience for several thousand children on the Eastern Shore: bringing significant historic figures from the past to life and teaching important lessons to the next generation who will become tomorrow’s community leaders and history makers.”

About The Eastern Shore of Virginia Historical Society
Established in 1957, the non-profit Eastern Shore of Virginia Historical Society’s mission is to preserve and interpret the history of the Eastern Shore, and educate the community about its past. The organization serves as a vehicle for cultural enhancement as well as a facilitator for history education through exhibits, programs, collections and preservation initiatives. To learn more about the Eastern Shore of Virginia Historical Society and the History in a Box program, visit www.shorehistory.org.

About The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation
The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms, was established in 1957 by company founder Arthur W. Perdue and is funded through the estates of Arthur W. Perdue and Frank Perdue. As part of our belief in supporting the communities where and with whom we do business, the Foundation provides grants on behalf of Perdue Farms in communities where large numbers of our associates live and work. At Perdue Farms, we believe in responsible food and agriculture.®

About Perdue Farms
We’re a third-generation, family owned, U.S. food and agriculture company. Through our belief in responsible food and agriculture, we are empowering consumers, customers and farmers through trusted choices in products and services.
We focus on continuously improving everything we do, constantly learning, and sharing those insights across different production methods. That innovative approach is driving change throughout the company and onto farms. This continuous advancement is leading us toward our vision of becoming the most trusted name in food and agricultural products.
The PERDUE® brand is the number-one brand of fresh chicken in the U.S., and Perdue AgriBusiness is an international agricultural products and services company. As we approach our 100th anniversary in 2020, our path forward is about getting better, not just bigger. We never use drugs for growth promotion in raising poultry and livestock, and we are actively advancing our animal welfare programs. Our brands are leaders in no-antibiotics-ever chicken, turkey and pork, and in USDA-certified organic chicken. We’ve increased our support for the family farm by creating new markets, including specialty crops. Through agricultural services, we give farmers more options for the acre, including conversion to organic production and products and services that increase the sustainability of conventional agriculture.