More than twenty English teachers from China visited the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. in July, one of several field trips designed to deepen their understanding of American history and culture.
As part of the enrichment program, the teachers are spending the summer exploring American culture and history through various field trips. The Historical Society’s site visit included a discussion of the geographic development of the nation’s capital; explored the idea of civic activism through collections relating to the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom; and, among other discussion points, introduced the teachers to the “Teachable Moments” feature of Washington History, the biannual journal of the Historical Society.
The teachers learned about the geographic development of Washington, aided by historic maps from the collection as well as one identifying the city’s eight wards.The Kiplinger Research Library was reserved for the group for the two-hour session, which explored topics ranging from transportation to civic activism to colloquial expressions.Part of the presentation on the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom included a temporary display of images of the historic event taken by a freshman at American University.Historical Society volunteer Nancy Schwartz discusses her projects with the visitors.Intern Susan Philpott, a former park guide on the National Mall and current candidate for a Masters in Public History, welcomed the visitors to the Small-Alper Gallery.The Historical Society’s permanent exhibit, featuring the Kiplinger Washington Collection, proved to be a popular backdrop.
Interested in bringing a community group to the Historical Society for a customized orientation? Please email library@dchistory.org for information on availability, scheduling and pricing.
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As a private, nonprofit organization, the DC History Center relies on generous gifts from individuals, foundations, and corporations to support our mission. In times of upheaval and uncertainty, we rely on history to guide us.
At the DC History Center, we tell the diverse stories of our nation’s capital to a broad community of learners. We seek to bring people together to satisfy their curiosity, learn each other’s stories, and develop respect for the larger community in which we live.
