Students from the Esperanza Academy Charter High School will showcase their personal histories in the “My Home, My History” exhibition at the National Museum of American Jewish History during the month of June.

The students researched their family histories and the histories of the home they currently live in, by using primary documents from the National Archives and Records Administration, census records and personal interviews.

“Every year our students work extremely hard to produce exceptional work and deserve to be seen by as many as possible. This has helped our students get out of the walls of their neighborhood and, even for one night, be celebrated by genealogists, historians, parents, teachers, and all others who see their display,” Celia Flores-Rivera, one of the teachers at Esperanza Academy facilitating this project, said. “My Home, My History are the stories that many students in Philadelphia have but don’t truly get to tell. At the end of the long journey, students feel linked even more to their family and are proud of the neighborhood they are from.”

This is the third year that the students partnered with the National Archives for the project, and the second year that the exhibition was hosted by the National Museum of American Jewish History.

“We are thrilled with our partnership with Esperanza,” Ivy Barsky, CEO of NMAJH and Gwen Goodman Director, said. “Like the projects the Esperanza students created, our core exhibition explores the courage and imagination of individuals and families that chose America as their new home, their perseverance, hard work, and aspiration, the families and communities they build here, and the contributions of immigrants that make our country what it is.”

The “My Home, My History” exhibition opens on June 3 with a free reception at 5:00 PM to honor the participating students. The exhibition will be on display through June 16.