News & Insights

program spotlight

Rediscovering the past, inspiring the future

How the CPE team turned time capsule discoveries into living history 

By Bolu Adeniran

When demolition crews began work at Fort Worthington Elementary/Middle School, no one expected a copper box to change the way an entire city thought about its schools. The year was 2016, and the building—a fixture in East Baltimore for generations—was coming down to make way for a modern school facility. Hidden behind a cornerstone, construction workers discovered a time capsule engraved “1963.” Inside lay a preserved world: news clippings about desegregation, a school readiness checklist, and a film print of the original school building, signed by its principal.

That discovery sparked more than curiosity—it rekindled the community’s connection to its own history. And for Brailsford & Dunlavey’s (B&D) Communications & Public Engagement (CPE) team, it opened the door to a new kind of storytelling: one that blends the physical renewal of school buildings with the emotional renewal of the people who call them home.

Preserving memories, building frameworks

As co-program manager for Baltimore City’s 21st Century School Buildings Program, B&D plays a leading role in helping the district modernize some of the oldest school facilities in the country. Beyond managing logistics and construction, the CPE team saw an opportunity to add a human dimension to the process—one that honored the past while celebrating progress.

To bring this vision to life, the team developed a standardized framework for managing time capsule discoveries and creating new ones. The framework includes:

• Coordinating between District and facilities staff, project managers, and school communities when a capsule is discovered
• Safely opening, archiving, and documenting artifacts with photographic records and protective materials
• Planning reveal events that connect current students with alumni and local residents
• Creating guidelines for schools to curate new time capsules, including suggested items and prompts

This structure ensures that each discovery becomes an opportunity for community storytelling—one that enriches the school’s legacy and deepens engagement during modernization.

Stories from the schools

Fort Worthington Elementary/Middle School
The first time capsule discovery of the program became a defining moment. When B&D’s CPE team coordinated the reveal, students sat side-by-side with alumni who recognized their younger selves in photographs and names. Senior Director Karen Summerville recalls how the artifacts—especially newspaper articles discussing segregation and integration—sparked powerful conversations about how far the community had come.

“The most interesting artifacts we found were Baltimore Sun and Baltimore Afro articles about the climate of the times in schools and communities,” Summerville shared. “There was an article about Fort Worthington serving 2,300 students when it only had capacity for 700. At the time, it was one of the only schools African Americans were allowed to attend in the area, and it was so overcrowded that teachers had to instruct in unconventional spaces like the boiler room in the basement.”

The event bridged generations, helping today’s students appreciate how their modern, spacious facility builds on the resilience and achievements of those who learned in far more constrained conditions.

Cross Country Elementary/Middle School
Nearly 70 years after a 1954 capsule was sealed, another discovery continued the tradition. Inside were student drawings, newsletters, and a half-dollar coin—tiny pieces of a mid-century school experience. Following established protocols, the CPE team not only facilitated the reveal but helped the school community create a new capsule to commemorate its reopening in 2023.

The new stainless-steel capsule, filled with student worksheets, digital photos, an iPhone, and memorabilia from the ribbon-cutting ceremony, was installed behind the school’s dedication plaque. Students also contributed “All About Me” worksheets and letters to the future, ensuring that when the capsule is rediscovered decades from now, a new generation will understand their stories.

Beyond construction: connecting hearts and histories

For a historic city like Baltimore, modernization is more than new walls and wiring—it’s about honoring the legacy embedded within them. Through creative engagement programs like the time capsule initiative, B&D’s CPE team transforms what might have been a routine construction project into a collective act of remembrance and pride.

By blending strategic communications with emotional resonance, the team helps ensure that each school’s rebirth strengthens the ties between students, alumni, and neighbors. These time capsules are more than boxes of artifacts—they’re vessels of hope, evidence of progress, and bridges between generations.

As each new school opens its doors, Baltimore doesn’t just gain another modern facility—it gains another chapter in its living story.

Bolu Adeniran is B&D’s communications and public engagement coordinator, supporting client communications through social media, website management, collateral design, photo/video documentation and public event planning. Previously, she held internship roles in multimedia production and event curation. Bolu holds a BFA in Visual Arts from University of Maryland. She may be reached at badeniran@bdconnect.com.