Boston Museum and MBTA create
"On Track with Boston History" subway campaign

East Boston , MA - 8th grade "history hounds" from the Umana Middle School Academy in East Boston joined MBTA General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas, State Transportation Secretary Bernard Cohen and Boston Museum CEO Frank Keefe in unveiling a new MBTA public service campaign designed to help summer tourists identify "hidden history" along the Blue Line.

The Umana students, who spent five months researching the history of East Boston and downtown Boston, created "On Track with Boston History" to call attention to the often-overlooked sites and stories from Boston history. The eye-catching red and white car cards, designed by Corey McPherson Nash of Watertown , feature the students' own artwork and historical research. The work was done as part of a Umana Extended Learning Time class created by educators Julia Brasser and Chad Harris, and based on a teacher institute sponsored by the Boston Museum .

Local officials hope the campaign will spark new awareness of Boston 's extraordinary role in shaping American history. One of the cards reminds T passengers that the second battle of the American Revolution, the Battle of Chelsea Creek, was fought near the current location of the Orient Heights station. Another card reveals that John Hancock used the basement of what is now the Old State House as a warehouse.

"The Umana's student population is considered one of the most at-risk (in the city,)" said Umana Principal Dr. Jose Salgado. "This campaign on the T and our work with the Boston Museum allows us to address some of the barriers to learning our children face, providing opportunities for them to travel outside of East Boston and through "the tunnel" to learn more about their city's history."

"This kind of campaign is a win-win for the T," added General Manager Grabauskas. "When we allow young people to contribute to their public transportation system, we find that vandalism goes down and a sense of community pride goes up."