On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, the Mercer Museum welcomed a sold-out crowd of Bucks County educators for Teachers’ Night Out, a special evening presented by Bucks250PA to connect teachers with the people, places, and resources that bring local history to life.More than 50 educators attended, representing 11 public school districts, one career and technical center, and six non-public schools across Bucks County. The event showed a strong interest in place-based learning and classroom-ready historical resources as the region prepares for the Semiquincentennial.
A Night of Connection, Learning, and Local History
The evening began with a welcome reception in the Mercer Museum where educators sampled light bites from Jamie Hollander, and continued with networking among educators, museum professionals, and history partners in the museum’s Great Hall.
Teachers heard from a distinguished group of speakers representing government, education, and cultural organizations across the county, including Teresa V. Androutsos of the Bucks County Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution; Robert J. Harvie, Chair of the Bucks County Commissioners Office; Shirley Lee Corsey, Founder of Gather Place Museum; Chad Evans, Supervisor of Educational Planning at the Bucks County Intermediate Unit; and Marjan Shirzad, Chief Operating Officer of the Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle.
Attendees were also introduced to Bucks250PA’s Revolutionary War Trail Initiative, launching later this year, which will connect historic sites across the county and create new opportunities for classroom learning and field trips.
Throughout the evening, educators explored exhibitor tables hosted by local museums and historic sites, learning about K–12 lesson plans, outreach programs, and field trip opportunities designed to align with curriculum standards while highlighting Bucks County’s unique Revolutionary-era stories.
Museum Partners Supporting Educators
The following Bucks250PA museums participated as presenters and exhibitors, engaging directly with teachers:
Each organization shared information about student programming, educational resources, and ways schools can connect with local history beyond the classroom.
Resource-Filled VIP Teacher Bags
In addition to materials provided by exhibitor partners, attendees were given America250PA VIP Teacher Bags, a complimentary tote filled with classroom-ready materials designed to support local history education. Each bag included information on educational programming and student opportunities at participating historic sites, complimentary admission passes and field trip incentives, Bucks250PA educational materials, and Semiquincentennial swag to help bring Bucks County history into the classroom. Materials were contributed by both event exhibitors and additional partners:
These take-home resources were designed to help teachers immediately incorporate local history into their lesson plans for the 2025–2026 school year, strengthening connections between classrooms and the county’s cultural institutions. They also build upon the work of Chad Evans of the Bucks County Intermediate Unit, whose development of more than 200 grade-centered lesson plans supports meaningful, standards-aligned classroom instruction.
Professional Development with Purpose
In addition to networking and exploration, educators earned one hour of Act 48 continuing education credit, reinforcing the program’s commitment to professional growth alongside meaningful content.
Strengthening the Classroom–Community Connection
Teachers’ Night Out exemplified Bucks250PA’s mission to connect schools with Bucks County’s rich history through collaboration, access, and engagement. By bringing educators and historic sites together in one space, the event strengthened relationships that will continue to benefit students across the county in the years leading up to, and beyond, the 250th anniversary of the nation.
Bucks250PA extends its sincere thanks to the events committee, educators who attended, museum partners who shared their expertise, and sponsors whose support made this evening possible.
