News : Ford's Theatre Program Sends Area Teacher Le Cox to Historic Civil War Sites

Ford's Theatre Program helps educators better teach about the civil war using historic sites.

Vinton-Shellsburg Teacher, Le Cox, was selected to participate in the Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation Civil War Washington Summer Teacher Institute Washington, D.C. 

Ford’s Theatre announced that Le Cox, Language Arts teacher at Vinton Shellsburg High School in Vinton, Iowa, was selected to attend The Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation Civil War Washington summer teacher institute from July 7 to 12, 2019. Civil War Washington is presented by Ford’s Theatre in collaboration with the National Park Service, President Lincoln’s Cottage and Tudor Place Historic House and Garden. Civil War Washington is free of charge for D.C.area teachers.

This professional development program teaches educators skills to help them include historic site field trips in their curricula and harness the power of place in the classroom. Through immersive visits to Civil War era historic sites in Washington, D.C., educators learn first-hand how field trips can be used to activate history and how to use reflection to integrate field trips into classroom learning.

The week-long program will include visits to Ford’s Theatre, the site of Lincoln’s assassination; President Lincoln’s Cottage, the site where Lincoln developed the Emancipation Proclamation; Tudor Place Historic House and Garden, the home of a Southern sympathizer that highlights divisions within the D.C. community during the war, and a myriad of National Park Service sites including Fort Stevens, the site of the only Civil War battle in Washington, D.C., and Cedar Hill, Frederick Douglass’s historic home.

“We’re excited for Le to join us at Ford’s Theatre for Civil War Washington. Not only will she have the opportunity to learn from museum professionals and content experts, but she will also have the opportunity to create lasting connections with a network of fellow educators,” said Associate Director for Museum Education Jake Flack.

“Teachers who work with the Ford’s education team return to their classrooms with new knowledge, resources and a professional support system to implement lessons that deepen their students’ understanding of the complexity of the Civil War and its ongoing legacy and relevance in the world today,” said Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Pedagogy at George Washington University Maia Sheppard.

Ford’s Theatre educations program are supported by Lead Education Sponsor BP America with additional support from United Airlines.

Schools and teachers interested in learning more about the Ford’s Theatre summer teacher institutes should visit www.fords.org/for-teachers/programs/ or email education@fords.org.

Ford’s Theatre Society

One of the most visited sites in the nation’s capital, Ford’s Theatre reopened its doors in 1968, more than a hundred years after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Operated through a partnership between Ford’s Theatre Society and the National Park Service, Ford’s Theatre is the premier destination in the nation’s capital to explore and celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s ideals and leadership principles: courage, integrity, tolerance, equality and creative expression. Ford’s Theatre Society was founded under the guidance of executive producer Frankie Hewitt, who, during her 35-year tenure, established Ford’s as a living, working theatre producing performances that highlighted the diversity of the American experience.

Since the arrival of Paul R. Tetreault as Director, critics and the theatre-going public have recognized Ford’s for the superior quality of its artistic programming. With works from the Tony-nominated Come From Away and the nationally acclaimed Big River, to the world premieres of Meet John Doe, The Heavens Are Hung In Black, Liberty Smith, Necessary Sacrifices, The Widow Lincoln and The Guard, Ford’s Theatre is making its mark on the American theatre landscape.

In the past decade, the mission of Ford’s Theatre Society expanded to include education as a central pillar. This expansion led to the creation and construction of the Center for Education and Leadership, which opened in February 2012. Under the current leadership of the Board of Trustees Chairman Phebe N. Novakovic and through the lens of Lincoln’s leadership and legacy, Ford’s today endeavors to advance Lincoln’s “unfinished work” with programs and performances that cultivate empathy, encourage dialogue and bridge divides in our American life.

For more information on Ford’s Theatre and the Ford’s Theatre Society, please visit www.fords.org. #TeachCivilWar Ford’s Theatre Education on Twitter: @FordsEdu Ford’s Theatre on Twitter and Instagram: @fordstheatre Ford’s Theatre on Facebook: www.facebook.com/fordstheatre