Hurricanes to pirates, Katy Menne teaches it all at Maritime Museum

Katy Menne is educational curator at the Maritime Museum, offering programs for all ages

Name: Katy Menne

Position: Curator of education at the N.C. Maritime Museum at Southport

How long: She started May 1, 2018

What do you do? “I’m a teacher here,” Menne says. She leads class trips from preschool to high school, offering a menu of topics for each age group that conforms to state education standards. “Hurricanes are the most requested class,” she said, noting that 1954’s Hurricane Hazel wiped out a thriving fishing fleet based in Southport. The museum sets aside time slots for monthly Sensory Saturdays, with dim lights and quiet time, Home School Fridays for home-schooled students, and Special Activity programs. There are summer camp programs for various ages. Menne also teaches adult classes. The monthly Salty Dog cooking classes — bring your own bottle and the museum provides the food — is proving popular. The May 4 class is about preparing fish tacos. “We have something going on every day, even in the off-season,” Menne said.

Background: Menne, 25, was born in San Diego. Her dad was in the Navy and they moved numerous times. “I’ve lived most of my life in California, but not consecutively,” she said. She went to the University of South Carolina, earning her B.A. in history and a masters in teaching. She finished her post-graduate studies in May 2016 and moved to Myrtle Beach, where she worked in museums, at the Ripley’s Aquarium and as activity director at the Hilton Resort.

What’s your favorite aspect of the job? “I like getting to see all the different kids,” she said. “Some are repeat students and they’re so excited. They really get into it.” It’s harder to get high school students to the museum because of their class schedules, so she tends to travel to them. But she loves seeing the younger children get excited about history and other topics, and she hopes some might even find a career path from their visits. “That’s the reason I decided to go into informal education over formal education. People remember their field trips.”

Learn more: Visit NCMaritimeMuseumSouthport.com. Reach Katy Menne at 910-477-5150 or katy.menne@ncdcr.gov.