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Dear Educators,
Calvin and Grace Coolidge valued education. They were the first in their families to go to college and they remembered that this experience opened many doors for them. Grace went on to teach deaf children at the Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton, MA. Calvin read the law and helped community people with local legal problems until the political bug bit him and he represented Northampton at the General Court in Boston. Both of them began their careers at the start of the twentieth century.
In 1925, as U.S. President, Calvin wrote “America’s Need for Education,” an essay on the importance of extending educational opportunities for all. Coolidge truly believed that popular government could only be predicated on popular education. He wanted the educated people to vote and he wanted everybody to be educated! He also lauded teachers as being in “one of the noblest of professions” for they affect the human mind “for eternity.”
The Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation has as its mission to educate the public to appreciate and study the legacy of president Coolidge so that we may understand our nation’s history and forge a stronger society for the future. Since the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation owns and maintains President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site, we have joined with them to strengthen and enhance field trips. We now call them history labs since we use the historic site as a laboratory. We believe that trained volunteers (retired teachers) with small groups of students give an in-depth experience that is not a traditional field trip.
Since the modern age is very interested in the president and first lady, telling their story to 3rd and fourth graders works very well. Students come to the site very interested in the topic of the day. Of course, teachers are sent a preparation kit by the Coolidge Foundation and students are immersed in the subject before they arrive.
Please call the office and ask for the preparation materials to help you plan your trip. Of course the historic site is seasonal and is only open at the end of May to mid October so trips must be planned accordingly. In May, the VDHP will open some buildings if trips are requested, so alert us if that works better for your curriculum planning. Many teachers return year after year to expose their students to this “hands on” history experience. I encourage you to contact us and plan accordingly.
For those of you who teach at the middle school level, we are now offering Constitution Day. This is a day where we explore a branch of the government as directed by the legislation of Congress. To fulfill your obligations to teach about the Constitution, please consider our half day program in September. We link our study with the village and the oath of office room in the homestead.
Sincerely,
Cyndy Bittinger Executive Director
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