(Washington, D.C.) - The Civil War Trust, the nation's premier nonprofit battlefield preservation organization, is pleased to announce the launch of its Generations program, an exciting multidisciplinary initiative designed to provide parents, grandparents and other adults with the tools to share history with young people in their personal lives. From online educational content to special events structured specifically for audiences of all ages, Generations showcases ways for families, friends and neighbors to demonstrate that history doesn't only reside in textbooks.
"One hundred fifty years have passed since the Civil War," said Trust president James Lighthizer, "But each subsequent generation of Americans has kept alive the legacy of the brave men and women who lived in that era. Now, it is our turn - and our duty - to teach the next generation about this essential part of our shared national experience."
The Trust has a decades-long tradition of providing top-quality content and programs for classroom educators. The organization's award-winning website is a repository of outstanding scholarship for researchers of all ages. Generations, however, marks the Trust's first program specifically designed to provide history lovers with the tools to share the compelling stories of the past with others beginning to learn about the period.
"Passion and curiosity are keys to success in the classroom, and in life," said Lighthizer. "And who better to instill those critical attributes in a young person than the multigenerational role models already in his or her life? I certainly hope that the Civil War Trust Generations initiative will inspire a few future historians, but I know it will create a wave of thoughtful, engaged and dynamic Americans."
Generations will provide a wealth of curated online content selected to foster dialogue among you and old alike. Through videos, articles, photos and other multimedia, the new initiative will help history buffs share their passion with other age groups.
In addition, Generations will host on-site events designed to showcase the importance of historic sites and spark the imagination. The first two inaugural events are scheduled for Gettysburg, in partnership with the National Park Service, and in Petersburg, in partnership with the Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier.
Generations at Gettysburg Event: The first Generations event will be a hike of Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg, Pa., on July 25, 2015, from 10 to 1 p.m. National Park Service rangers and Licensed Battlefield Guides will lead the tours. The event is free and open to anyone who attends with at least one member of a younger generation.
Generations at Petersburg Event: On the weekend of September 12-13, multi-generational teams are invited to come to Pamplin Historical Park in Petersburg, Va., where they can "Live the Life of a Soldier." The event begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday and runs through 10 a.m. on Sunday. The experience is free to each adult who brings at least one other guest a generation or more younger, but space is limited. Please note that there is a minimum age of 8-years-old for all participants.
Please note that registration is required for both events. Register at: www.civilwar.org/generations
The Civil War Trust's education programs span all aspects of the war, targeting a variety of age groups and skill levels. The Trust employs a broad approach to reach millions of people in classrooms, on battlefields, through its website, and in printed media. The popular Teacher Institute series offers free professional development to hundreds of teachers every year. Other resources include: the War Departmentâ„¢ video series, which goes beyond recitation of facts to offer expert analysis of complex topics; the Civil War In4 video series, which highlights basic topics of Civil War study in short segments; the Civil War Lesson Center, which provides hundreds of free lesson plans to educators; and Civil War Kid's 150: Fifty Fun Things to Do, See, Make, and Find for the 150th Anniversary, a book designed to help young people experience history in tangible, interactive ways.
The Civil War Trust is America's premier nonprofit battlefield preservation organization. Although primarily focused on the protection of Civil War battlefields, through its Campaign 1776 initiative, the Trust also seeks to save the battlefields connected to the Revolutionary War and War of 1812. To date, the Trust has preserved 41,000 acres of battlefield land in 20 states.
The Civil War Preservation Trust became the Civil War Trust in January 2011; the Civil War Trust became a division of the American Battlefield Trust in May 2018. Campaign 1776 was created in 2014 as an initiative of the Civil War Trust; in May 2018 it became the Revolutionary War Trust, a division of the American Battlefield Trust.