A city tour is just one of the many interactive events during the forum.
Our children and grandchildren learn so much from history, and Richmond, Virginia is rich with history from our country’s beginnings. As we approach summer, it’s time to think about continuing to teach children and expand their knowledge, so they don’t lose the skills and knowledge they’ve gained this year – and learning about history can be fun.
Historian Forum
The Virginia Historical Society will hold the High School Historians Forum (formerly the Wyndham B. Blanton Scholars Forum) from July 20–23, 2011. In honor of Virginia’s sesquicentennial commemoration of the Civil War, this summer’s Forum will focus on “The Civil War in Virginia.” The forum is open to all rising juniors and seniors.
Students will study Civil War–era topics, and especially topics and perspectives not typically covered in traditional study of the period. This gives children a learning advantage and the information can help them improve scores on SOLs and more.
Over the course of four days:
- VHS staff and visiting speakers will engage students in an exploration of the Civil War’s influence on Virginia and its inhabitants.
- While in Richmond, students will go behind the scenes at the VHS to observe the Society’s daily operations
- Follow a “Civil War in Richmond” tour, led by Andrew Talkov, Exhibition Coordinator for the VHS’s An American Turning Point: Virginia and the Civil War
- Students will create video content for the Society’s website.
Living history interpreters will be on hand to deepen participants’ understanding of the varied experiences of Virginians during the war, specifically:
- the involvement of women on the home front in Virginia,
- and the diverse roles of African Americans in both the Confederate and Union armies who fought in the Commonwealth.
Accommodations and Registration
Overnight accommodations are planned at the Virginia Commonwealth University dorms where students will be chaperoned by VHS staff members at all times. Meal expenses are fully covered by the VHS.
If you are interested in participating in the Forum, you can apply online. Applications must be received no later than June 10, and all Virginia rising juniors and seniors are encouraged to apply.
This is an interactive learning environment with some of the best students from across Virginia, and students will work directly with professionals in the history field. Don’t miss this opportunity to expose your teens to some great American history that began right here in Virginia.
