Christiansburg Institute, Inc.

Christiansburg Institute, Inc. (CI, Inc.) // Find us in Montgomery County in Christiansburg, Virginia, just 7 miles from the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, where we operate a public museum and community learning center focused on preserving and promoting African American history and culture in Southwest Virginia, and sharing the 100 year legacy of the first secondary school in the region to educate the formerly enslaved - the historic Christiansburg Industrial Institute (CII, 1866-1966). 

CI, Inc.'s Two Core Educational Service Departments:

1. CIMA > Christiansburg Institute Museum and Archives 

Today, our museum, the Christiansburg Institute Museum & Archives (CIMA), is a repository for over 74.66 linear feet of historic materials spanning from 1854-2012, with a concentration from 1910-1966, and included materials from each principal, and many teachers and students, along with historic photographs, student-published newspapers, and scrapbooks. 

Rich photo collections illustrate daily campus life, like students laying bricks, attending football games, or performing in pageants. Administrative records detail the school’s struggle for autonomy once the school shifted from a private institution to a segregated regional high school managed by an all-white governing Board of Control. The C.I. Printing Collection, which holds newspapers written and printed by students, shows a student body actively engaged with national events and the Civil Rights movement.

2. CIRAC > Christiansburg Institute Research Action Center

CIRAC is our innovative learning center dedicated to nurturing grassroots community engagement, promoting public education, and advocating for the cultural preservation of African American sites in Southwest Virginia. It features spacious environments with large desks for collaboration, comfortable seating, coffee tables, and oversized chairs. Our facilities include a 55-inch wall-mounted screen for group meetings and presentations. 

The Robert Henry Graham Legacy Library features a curated collection of diverse books and reading materials covering a wide range of subjects. Additionally, we offer a state-of-the-art podcast recording studio equipped with editing and production interfaces, along with access to premium content creation software and free high speed wifi.

CI Student Internship Program

Since 2018, we've established a robust and growing student internship program, experiencing a year-to-year percentage growth of 100% from year one (2018) to year two (2020) and 150% from year two (2020) to year five (2024) with Radford and Virginia Tech undergraduates, public high school students, homeschoolers and remote learners. In 2024, we've completed 5 student internships with 3 undergrads and 2 high schoolers. We currently have three high school students and four undergrads participating in our internship program. 

Our work-study and internship programs welcome high school students, college students, and adult learners. These opportunities provide flexibility, allowing participants to engage either in-person at our museum and learning center or remotely via Zoom. Our internship program centers on public history and museum education, civic engagement, community organizing, leadership development, and cultural preservation advocacy.