Bastrop: Then and Now

“Bastrop: Then and Now” is a student-led project out of the Colorado River Collegiate Academy – the early college high school program of the Bastrop Independent School District. Over the past school year, 58 freshman scholars discovered local history and culture by interviewing longtime residents to learn about their experiences growing up and living here over the past few decades.  Much like National Public Radio’s StoryCorps, students interviewed and then examined the stories of Sandra Callahan, Gilbert Cervantes, Dock Jackson, Ken Kesselus, Philip Kost, Matthew Mix, Steve Murray, Bill Owens and Reid Sharp. With that information in mind, they followed up by conducting historical research to contextualize and provide an added layer of depth to those personal histories.   “It’s our hope that those who experience this exhibit will not only learn about the story of Bastrop as a community, but their own personal histories as well,” said Academy English teacher Manny Pina, who worked with Social Studies Research instructor Megan Brandon on the cross-curriculum project.   This project was made possible through a generous grant provided by the Bastrop Education Foundation and the support of Bastrop ISD. The exhibit will be on display until August 31, 2017.