About
Project CLAY: Creative Learning Through Archaeology
Project CLAY is an educational outreach startup founded in 2021. Our mission is to use art and digital technologies to inspire children with the timeless stories of our human past. Our team developed the innovative Project CLAY Activity Box to provide a multisensory learning experience that engages visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. Our lesson plans weave together comic art, 3D printing, and archaeology, and meet CPALMS learning objectives in visual art and social studies for grade 6 in Florida.
The project is driven by the interdisciplinary collaboration between Scientific Director Laura Harrison and Artistic Director Kristin Donner, who first met while excavating in Turkey in 2014. Dr. Harrison contributes her expertise in digital public heritage, using 3D scanning and virtual reality to bring ancient stories to life, while Ms. Donner, a professional artist for Warner Bros. and Nickelodeon, uses her background in animation to create engaging visual narratives. Together, they developed the character "Abby the Apprentice" to bridge the gap between complex archaeological data and accessible, multimodal learning for middle school students.
Laura Harrison (left) and Kristin Donner (right) presenting at the Society for American
Archaeology conference.
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