The History School is a fresh approach to teaching children about the lessons of the past.
Elise Fillpot, PhD, developed the online series of courses based on her highly researched project "Bringing History Home," which she coordinated in Iowa schools from 2001 to almost 2013. The courses focus on social justice and are geared toward ages 7 through 12, though just about anyone can learn and benefit from them.
Elise's father inspired her commitment to social justice at an early age. The son of a sharecropper in West Texas, he was born in 1933 in what could be called the epicenter of the Dust Bowl, Elise says. "His experiences growing up influenced his own commitment to justice and fairness in the world," she explains. And, as a young Baptist minister in Fort Worth, he brought community members together to integrate his church.
Why study history? As Elise says, understanding the past provides ways to figure out how to deal with the present. Her goal is to inspire children to become "citizens of the world" who will feel a sense of responsibility to make it better.
Visit The History School to check it out for yourself.
This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to The Gale Hill Radio Hour!
The show is available in Apple and Google Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast directories. Also on Substack and YouTube; Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
