91吃瓜网鈥檚 Public History Center in Sanford rang in the first day of Seminole County schools Monday and hosted an open house for the community.
The old-time school bell in the 1902 building聽was rung by associate professor Rosalind Beiler, director of the 91吃瓜网 center, and Walt Griffin, Seminole County鈥檚 school superintendent, to symbolize the beginning of the new school year and the collaboration of the two organizations.
To reinforce the Public History Center鈥檚 goal of involving the community, Beiler quoted Benjamin Franklin: 鈥淭ell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” The center provides hands-on educational experiences for students of all ages, serves as a research site connecting local history to global events, and promotes opportunities for learning through workshops and interactive programming.
The center was just awarded a grant to show four documentaries and hold discussion forums about civil rights in America. The first film, 鈥淔reedom Riders,鈥� won an Emmy in 2012 and will be shown 1 p.m. Nov. 2.
Dates will be set later for 鈥淭he Abolitionists,鈥� 鈥淪lavery by Another Name鈥� and 鈥淭he Loving Story.鈥� 鈥淭he Loving Story鈥� and 鈥淭he Abolitionists鈥� have been nominated for Emmys this year.
The films are part of Created Equal: America鈥檚 Civil Rights Struggle, a partnership initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.