More than 3,500 Chester County students participated in History Connections programs at the Chester County Historical Society during the past year.

For the eighth consecutive year, the Chester County Historical Society (CCHS) is pleased to announce it is eligible to receive support as an educational improvement organization through a state program that helped bring history  to life for thousands of county students.

Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program enables Pennsylvania-based businesses to receive generous tax credits by contributing to qualified organizations.

EITC contributions enable the society to continue investing in the region’s students through innovative history programming. For example, from May 1, 2012 to April 30 the program helped a total of 3,697 school students and approximately 241 teacher/chaperones participate in History Connections programs from 28 public and charter schools in nine Chester County school districts as well as 47 home schools, private and parochial schools, some through multiple visits, a CCHS news release said.

Of these students, 35 percent participated in museum field trips, 56 percent used CCHS traveling trunks, and classroom outreach programs served 8 percent. Among participating students, 72 percent attend public schools and are thus directly supported by EITC funds, the release said.

In 2013, as in previous years, the National History Day (NHD) program continues to have a significant impact. This year, 30 teachers at 22 schools included NHD in their curriculum, reaching 2,000 students from diversified social, ethnic, and economic backgrounds. Of the 400 participants in the regional competition coordinated by CCHS, 89 winning students from Chester and Delaware Counties advanced to the state competition on May 3 and 4 in Mechanicsburg. CCHS’s region even had one individual and two teams advance to the national competition held in College Park, Md., in June, the release said.

CCHS has professional museum educational staff, offers extensive on-site programs, and provides financial support for schools to experience CCHS first hand. To get questions answered or to make a donation to CCHS, please contact David Reinfeld at 610.692.4800 ext. 267 or dreinfeld@chestercohistorical.org.