For the third consecutive year, the Kennedy Library, in partnership with Boston Public Schools, is offering a five-day institute for teachers on the history of the Cold War. The program will take place from June 25-29, 2007 at the Kennedy Library, and will focus on people, places and events of the early 1960s, including Berlin, Vietnam, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. This program is funded by a U.S. Department of Education Teaching American History grant.
Each morning will begin with a talk by Professor David Engerman of Brandeis University, who studies the history of US-Soviet relations and teaches courses in modern American diplomatic, intellectual, and political history. Following his opening talk, teachers will have the opportunity to engage with distinguished guest speakers who bring an “eyewitness” perspective. This year’s speakers include Sergei Khrushchev, the son of Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev, who worked on the development of Soviet missiles and spacecraft and was editor of his father’s memoirs; and Walter Carrington, who was one of the seven original overseas directors of the Peace Corps and later served as U.S. Ambassador to Senegal and Nigeria.
Each afternoon, the Library’s education specialists will introduce documentary materials from the Library’s collections relating to the events and topics being examined that day. Teachers will have the opportunity to meet in smaller groups to discuss ways of incorporating these primary sources into their classroom curricula. Those who wish to earn Professional Development Points (PDPs) may develop and submit lesson plans based on resources gathered during the institute.
This program is open to all middle school and high school history teachers. The fee for teachers who do not teach in the Boston Public Schools is $100. There is no fee for Boston Public School teachers. For further information on the program, go to the “For Teachers” section of the Library’s website www.jfklibrary.org and click on “Professional Development” or contact Nina Tisch at 617-514-1647 or e-mail nina.tisch@nara.gov