The Gettysburg Foundation works to educate and inspire people about the important events and lessons of 1863 and the need to preserve the legacy of the Battle of Gettysburg. One way it does this through conferences designed just for K-12 teachers.
The late Richard “Rick” Bartol Jr. had a rare ability to genuinely connect with people and show them the relevance of the Civil War to their place in the world and history as a seasonal park ranger at Gettysburg for 30 summers. In keeping with Bartol’s passion, this conference was developed to inspire middle school teachers engage their students with the people and places of the Civil War within the context of Social Studies and Language Arts. The goal of the conference is to help teachers educate students about the relevance of this time period to their own lives as Americans living in the modern era.