CI, Inc. Board Chair Debbie Sherman Lee (left) with Judy Diggs (right) at Friends Elementary School.
Lori Graham
Contributing Writer
MONTGOMERY Co. – Christiansburg Institute, Inc. is hoping to work in joint collaboration with Montgomery County Public Schools, to expand and relocate their preservation of African American heritage and culture museum to the Friends Elementary School.
Chris Sanchez, Executive Director of the Christiansburg Institute, Inc., a non-profit 501c3 non-profit organization, provided a presentation during the MCPS Board meeting on Tuesday, Mar. 4, 2025.
Christiansburg Institute Museum and Archives houses and manages interactive exhibits, historical and digitized artifacts and collections, and provides student internships, historical research, and scanning and digitization services at no cost to local community members. Their library allows visitors to view resources online or in-person, as well as check out materials to take home with you. The CI staff also assist other communities with the digitization and organization of their artifacts through advocacy and outreach programs.
According to Sanchez, Friends Elementary School was a former segregated school in operation during Jim Crow Laws, now known as the MCPS Corps of Cadets building. Built in 1953, it is located at 1180 North Franklin Street, adjacent to the Christiansburg Industrial Institute and near the current day Christiansburg High School.
The CI, Inc. organization would continue seeking grants to assist in funding their expansion to the new location, as well as designate the location as a Virginia Landmark and as a site with the National Register of Historic Places. The desire of the organization is to restore the building to its original appearance.
Bragen commented that the site could also be a shared space for MCPS educational programs. Financial impacts on the MCPS budget have not been considered at this time as the project discussions are in the early stages.
“I just hope that any agreement is clear, documented, and everyone knows exactly what portions of the building are going to be used for MCPS and what is going to be used for the historic culture center,” Board member Penny Franklin said.
The MCPS Board agreed unanimously, with thumbs up, to continue talks with the Christiansburg Institute on the project.
Read Across America Week, organized by the National Education Association (NEA), occurred this year from Mar. 2 to Mar. 8. Resources for parents, community members, educators, and especially children can be found at www.nea.org.
During the Superintendent’s report, Bernard Bragen, Jr. shared his comments on the importance of reading in the community, encouraging students to spend more time with a book. With the electronic age of phones, tablets, and computers that are so prevalent everywhere, reading has become a challenge for many children as well as adults. Bragen expounded on these barriers that children face in this distractive digital age, pulling young minds away from a “reading culture” Bragen believes all students should be encouraged not only at school, but in the home by modeling more access to reading.
“Reading is not just a subject in school,” he said. “It is the foundation for everything our students will do. It helps them think critically, explore new ideas, and unlock opportunities that will shape their future. Simply put, strong readers become strong learners.”