Educational programs for teens and young people directly serve the National Public Housing Museum’s mission to encourage community engagement. Programs and curriculum are developed in tandem with the Museum's core and changing exhibits and programs.

The National Public Housing Museum has gathered an archive of oral histories of people with meaningful connections to public housing. These memories inspire exhibitions and tours. Visitors can hear stories from residents of the Jane Addams Homes when visiting three recreated apartments that represent life in public housing between 1938 and 1975.

Famous entertainers like Barbara Streisand, Jay-Z, and Mary J. Blige all at one point in their lives called public housing home. So did sports stars like Tony Allen, public officials like former President Jimmy Carter, and corporate leaders such as Starbucks founder Howard Schultz.

Chicago has always been a global city, attracting immigrants from every continent during the 20th century. Public housing has served new Chicagoans settling here from countries like Poland, Spain, Cuba, Nigeria, Ghana, the Philippines, and Korea.

From Klezmer to Hip-Hop, Country to Latin Rock, the music that has emerged from public housing projects represents a range of popular sounds that have expanded our idea of American culture and American identity. In the REC Room, listen to music and explore the history of music in public housing.

Across the globe, public housing has been one of the most important public policies of the 20th century. In America, despite the problems these communities experienced, these programs enabled most residents to get their feet on the ground and move on.

The National Public Housing Museum will be housed in the only surviving building of the historic Jane Addams Home on Chicago's Near West Side. The three-story brick building opened in 1938, designed by a team of architects headed by John Holabird.

The National Public Housing Museum coalesces diverse views from government, academia, research, private industry, and civil society. Through storytelling, it prompts the public to consider what the community can do together to create a more just society.