Kentucky Historical Society
KHS to Host Kentucky History Education Conference on Abraham Lincoln

Frankfort, KY - The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) will host the Kentucky History Education Conference on July 9 that will focus on Abraham Lincoln and Kentucky. Preregistration is required by July 2.

The education conference will be held at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in Frankfort. The purpose of the daylong conference is for teachers to learn about Lincoln’s Kentucky connections and to discover teaching strategies and resources.

Darrell Meadows, KHS project historian, and Vicky Middleswarth, head of museum education at KHS, will conduct a keynote session entitled, “Teaching Abraham Lincoln in Kentucky Schools.” The session will demonstrate how Abraham Lincoln’s life and times relate to Kentucky’s Program of Studies and Core Content.

The conference will also feature concurrent sessions with discussions on various Lincoln topics, more information about Lincoln resources available from KHS and other institutions, and a chance to see the KHS HistoryMobile exhibit “Kentucky’s Abraham Lincoln.” The HistoryMobile is a 300-square-foot exhibit, housed in a 45-foot tractor-trailer, which explores Lincoln’s frontier childhood, his career from log house to the White House, and his struggles to end slavery and lead the nation through the Civil War.

Participants at the conference will also have a chance to see the KHS Museum Theatre performance of Back to the Bluegrass: Mary Todd Comes Home. This play explores how this educated and emotional woman tried to cope with the tensions of being Abraham Lincoln's first lady.

Topics covered in the conference sessions include Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War, Kentucky’s Lincoln Heritage Trail, Lincoln’s frontier childhood, Lincoln in comic- book art, and more with speakers including scholars, teachers, and other education specialists.

The registration fee is $50 and $45 for members of KHS or the Kentucky Association of Teachers of History (KATH). The fee includes lunch, refreshments, and handouts.

For more information or to register for the conference, contact Vicky Middleswarth at 502-564-1792, ext. 4425. Registration information is also available on the KHS Web site.

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An agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, the Kentucky Historical Society, since 1836, has provided connections to the past, perspective on the present, and inspiration for the future.  KHS operates the Old State Capitol, the Kentucky Military History Museum, and its headquarters, the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History.   Since 1999, the thirty-million-dollar Center has welcomed more than one million visitors.  For more information about the Kentucky Historical Society and its programs, visit the Web site.