A group of children are on a tour of the Black Creek Native American Site, learning about the land, the first people who inhabited it, their primitive tools, the indigenous plants and trees on the site, and the landscape and environment from 8,000 B.C. The Society provides educational tours of the Black Creek Site for individuals and for groups.
“Teachers affect eternity; they can never
tell where their influence stops.”
--Henry B. Adams
An eighth grade student in Glen Meadow Middle School in Vernon takes a closer look at artifacts from the Black Creek Site during one of our programs in township schools.
Our Hands-On Programs
Many Vernon youngsters have benefitted from our hands-on programs, from learning about Vernon’s Native American sites, what it was like in a one-room schoolhouse, how to make ink, making corn husk dolls, clearing hiking trails on the Black Creek Site and many other educational programs. During the Summer of 2008, we are planing an archaeological dig for about 20 students on a first-come, first-served basis. These students will do an archaeological study of a known Native American Site. All artifacts recovered will be turned over to the N.J. State Museum for permanent display. More information on this event will be posted in the coming months.
Interested persons should contact the
Vernon Township Historical Society
Boy Scouts Troop 283 assists Anthony Flores in his Eagle Scout Community Service Project. Under the Historical Society’s direction, Anthony organized a group of scouts and helped clear the walking trails at the Black Creek Site, cutting down the invasive vines that were choking the forest and killing the trees. Together, the group cleared vines from 10 acres of Cedar and Black Walnut trees.
Anthony -- with a little help from his friends...
Emilie Dupont, one of the teachers in the Society’s Education Program, is hands-on with the children as she teaches them how to grind corn using a stone mortar and pestle and how to make American Indian corn husk dolls.
Chatham High School students and their teacher came to Black Creek for an archaeology study in June 2008.
Archaeologist Bill Sandy shows Chatham High School students American Indian artifacts.
“Give the pupils something to do and ...
thinking and learning naturally results.”
--John Dewey


Education Program
“To teach is to touch
lives forever.”
The Society has an educational program that goes into the township schools and into the community. Each year, hundreds of students benefit from our various programs. Scouts are also involved in our many educational programs and are involved in numerous programs to earn badges and community service awards.
Our Education Program includes Lois Scordato, Emilie Dupont, Fran Boltz, Elaine Miranda, and Jessi Paladini, all certified educators.
The program includes presentations and projects in Vernon Schools, tours and presentations at the historic one-room Price’s Switch Schoolhouse, and hands-on learning projects in the field, such as archaeological digs and tours, trail work and signage at the Black Creek Site, and volunteer jobs for the Society’s many projects and events through which students and scout troops earn credits and awards. If you would like to learn more about the society’s education program or would like the Society to do a presentation in your classroom or participate in a classroom event, call Lois Scordato at 973-764-3919 or Jessi Paladini at 973-764-6545. The education program is free of charge.
  1. •Make a corn husk doll
  2. •One-room schoolhouses
  3. •Lenape lodge frames
  4. •Grinding corn
  5. •American Indian activities