The National Oratory Fellows program is a signature initiative of Ford’s Theatre, drawing on our institutional expertise in history, education and performing arts. It is a long-term teacher professional development program designed to build teacher capacity to use public speaking and performance as teaching strategies in middle and high school classrooms.

Ford’s Theatre is committed to hiring and featuring local actors. This allows artists the chance to explore a wide variety of material and gives audiences an opportunity to watch their favorite actors transform from role to role.

Historic sites and museums provide a wide range of professional development opportunities for teachers, especially in the summer. What do educators really want to learn? And what makes a great learning experience? From 2016 to 2018, staff from Ford’s Theatre and researchers from George Washington University are partnering with the Institute of Museum and Library Services to find answers to these questions.

Reflecting on two summers spent in intensive, content-rich professional development through Ford’s Theatre—as a Civil War Washington Teacher Fellow in 2014 and as a Seat of War and Peace scholar in 2015—the biggest impact on my teaching has been getting to know the ordinary: the everyday objects, spaces and moments made the Civil War era extraordinary.

In this post, eighth-grade teacher and Ford’s Oratory Fellow Giani Clarkson shares his experiences teaching the art of oratory to his students in Washington, D.C. 

Lincoln was seemingly a natural born leader. With his ability to command a room, give a powerful speech and negotiate, he is regarded as one of the best presidents in American history. As a leader, Lincoln was determined to hold together a nation that was falling apart at the seams.

One of the first things you may have learned about President Lincoln was that he was honest. To many kids, and even some adults, Abraham Lincoln remains “Honest Abe.” His honesty, humor and intelligence—these are just a few of the qualities that make him a source of inspiration for many Americans.