The National Council for History Education will present their annual conference in Charleston, SC on March 31 – April 2, 2011. The conference will gather teachers and historians from around the country for professional development, idea exchange, and scholarship. The conference theme is “The Causes and Consequences of Civil War.” SC Humanities supported this project with a Major Grant in September 2010.
Charleston was selected as the 2011 conference location because of the sesquicentennial anniversary of the Battle of Fort Sumter and the beginning of the American Civil War, a topic that is relevant in many classrooms across the country. However, the conference will examine many different aspects of civil war beyond the American historical event, including civil wars in other countries.
SC Humanities grant funds support the conference keynote lecture, which will be free and open to the public, and the participation of fifteen South Carolina teachers in the conference, including their travel and registration fees. The keynote lecture will feature author Carol Berkin and historian Bob Bain talking about the evolution of the book Civil War Wives: The Life and Times of Angelina Grimke Weld, Varina Howell Davis, and Julia Dent Grant. The session will take place on Friday, April 1, 2011 at 10:15 a.m. at the Charleston Marriott.
The fifteen South Carolina teachers come from all over the state, with at least two selected from each of South Carolina’s six Congressional Districts. Jamie Brindel of E.L. Wright Middle School in Columbia said, “This is going to be an amazing opportunity for professional development…thank you and the Board of SC Humanities for making [my attendance] possible.”
For more information about the National Council for History Education and the annual conference, please visit their website at: http://www.nche.net/.
The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. SC Humanities programs and initiatives are balanced, reflecting sensitivity to the diversity of ideas, encourage open dialogue, demonstrate integrity, and are ethical in operations.
