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The InHarmony Initiative
Connecting Past and Future Through Hands-On Learning
What Is InHarmony
The InHarmony Initiative is Old Economy Village’s innovative workforce development program introducing elementary and middle school students to skilled trades through the lens of history, sustainability, and craftsmanship.
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Rooted in the traditions of the 19th-century Harmonist community—renowned for its self-sufficient economy, skilled artisans, and communal ideals—InHarmony transforms the Village’s historic workshops, gardens, and greenhouses into dynamic learning spaces. Here, students don’t just study history—they live it.
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Project Name
Through hands-on projects in woodworking, metalwork, textiles, agriculture, and green infrastructure, participants explore the skills that built early American communities while discovering how those same trades are evolving today. By connecting historic practices with modern applications in sustainability and technology, InHarmony helps students see pathways to real-world careers and empowers them to imagine a future shaped by their own craftsmanship.
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Supported by the Remake Learning Moonshot Grant, InHarmony was one of only 36 projects selected from 109 proposals across the region for its visionary approach to future-focused education. The program partners with local schools, community organizations, and industry leaders to ensure that learning opportunities are inclusive, relevant, and deeply rooted in community needs.
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Project Name
From building birdhouses using 19th-century tools to experimenting with modern rain garden design, every project invites curiosity, creativity, and collaboration—helping students learn by doing, problem-solving, and creating with purpose.
