American Battlefield Trust Hosts National Teacher Institute at Historic Valley Forge

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Jul 09, 2018, 09:58 ET

VALLEY FORGE, Pa., July 9, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Some 200 K-12 educators will convene for the American Battlefield Trust's annual National Teacher Institute, a career development conference July 12-15 in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The institute provides 3.5 days of workshops, tours and lectures to give educators the tools to engage students about the pivotal conflicts of America's first century.

Participants will have the opportunity to visit American Revolution and Civil War sites, while also interacting with professional historians and authors about history and our national identity. With 200 teachers attending from 24 states, the Trust's 18th institute will be the largest ever.

"The American Battlefield Trust believes passionately in the power of teachers to inspire the students," Trust president James Lighthizer said. "The Teacher Institute empowers teachers by fostering new approaches, different techniques and fresh perspectives to engage and inform students about U.S. history."

The Valley Forge Teacher Institute follows the Trust's selection by the U.S. Department of the Interior as the national nonprofit leader for the 250th commemoration of the founding of the United States. The Trust will work with the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission to plan a commemoration that encourages history education and historic preservation. Initiatives like the Institute can play a key role in the 250th commemoration, Lighthizer said: "We are excited by this new opportunity to work with educators throughout the country to inspire interest in American history."

Highlights of the Institute include Dr. Carol Reardon on history versus popular memory; Dr. Chris Mackowski on the nation's founding; Museum of the American Revolution's Adrienne Whaley on African-Americans in the Revolution; David O. Stewart, author of "Madison's Gift: Five Partnerships That Built America," on how America's early conflicts affected our government; educator Bruce A. Lesh, author of "Why Won't You Just Tell Us the Answer? Teaching Historical Thinking in Grades 7–12," on whether students' knowledge of history is in decline.

Tours will focus on the Revolutionary War—including "Old City" Philadelphia, Independence Hall, the Museum of the American Revolution, and Valley Forge—along with sites associated with the Civil War's Gettysburg Campaign.

The American Battlefield Trust is dedicated to preserving America's hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. Learn more at www.battlefields.org.

(For longer version of release, visit www.battlefields.org/news)

SOURCE American Battlefield Trust