Elevator access to Ford’s Theatre and Ford’s Theatre Museum is unavailable until May 23, 2021, while repairs are underway.
We offer professional development, teacher preview workshops, field trips and more.
May 13, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. EDT
Teacher Workshop
Join our National Oratory Fellows for a virtual event of inspiring and hilarious stories about teaching through the pandemic. Live on Ford's YouTube, Facebook Live and Twitter @FordsEdu and @FordsTheatre.
May 19, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. EDT
Teacher Workshop
In this workshop, teachers explore the power dynamics between Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Compare and contrast dramatic text from Ford’s Theatre's play, “Necessary Sacrifices,” and the primary source accounts that inspired the play. Playwright Richard Hellesen joins us to talk about his process.
Distance Learning
No matter where you are, you can learn about President Lincoln’s assassination and Civil War Washington through our distance-learning programs.
Online, July 2021
Professional Development
The city of Washington was a complex, gritty, unfinished and precarious place during the Civil War. In this institute, connect with peers to illuminate new perspectives and under-told stories, explore historic sites and collect a wealth of resources. Gain tools to help students grapple with histories whose legacies matter today in this program for K-12 educators.
Online, July 2021
Professional Development
Learn about monuments and memorials in the nation’s capital and examine how we remember the Civil War in this week-long summer teacher program for 3rd- through 12th-grade teachers.
Distance Learning
Through this unique program, students will learn one of President Abraham Lincoln’s historical speeches, the fundamentals of performance and public speaking skills. At the end of this project, your class is invited to create a video of the speech they learned to showcase their performance skills.
Aug. 2020-May 2021
Professional Development
Join this national cohort of 5th- through 8th-grade teachers in this multi-year professional development program designed to help integrate public speaking and performance skills into your classroom.
Oratory
For the 20-21 School Year, this program will combine with the Lincoln Online Oratory Project. Classes receive five virtual visits with a teaching artist to learn a historical speech to perform. Classes record a performance and send to Ford’s for upload to Ford’s YouTube channel.
On-Site Programs
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and in order to support social distancing, we will not be accepting group reservations, which means we will not be offering the free field trip program on-site this fall. We encourage you to consider a virtual field trip or other virtual program for your students this year.
On-Site Programs
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and in order to support social distancing, we are not performing at the theatre, which sadly means we will not be offering student matinees this fall. Please connect with us through our digital programs and virtual field trips.
Professional Development
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and in order to support social distancing, we are not performing at the theatre, which sadly means we will not be offering Teacher Preview Workshops this fall. Please connect with us through our digital programs and virtual field trips.
Online, Summer 2021
The city of Washington was a complex, gritty, unfinished and precarious place during the Civil War. And our contemporary monument landscape is changing. In these institutes, connect with peers to illuminate new perspectives; examine how we memorialize historic sites, and collect a wealth of resources. Gain tools to help students grapple with histories whose legacies matter today.
This workshop series explores how ordinary citizens and public figures use their words to inspire change and shape our world. Each workshop will include a performance by a Ford’s Theatre Teaching Artist of a notable speech or poem on a particular theme. Following the performance, the Teaching Artist and a Ford’s Master Oratory Fellow will facilitate a discussion with workshop participants on the impact, emotions evoked and the relevancy of the words today, and will share a tip that anyone can use to harness the power of their words to effect positive change.
Monday, February 22, 2021 7:00 p.m.
As we honor and remember the contributions of Black Americans to the building of our nation, we’ll celebrate Douglass’s powerful speech. Ford’s Teaching Artist and actor Ashley Buster will perform an abridged version of this thought-provoking speech, followed by a facilitated discussion for all participants with Ashley and and Master Oratory Fellow Giani Clarkson.
Monday, March 22, 2021 7:00 p.m.
In honor of Women’s History Month, Ford’s Teaching Artist and actor Victoria Reinsel will perform an abridged version of this ground-breaking speech that highlights the importance of gender-equality in the fight for human rights. A facilitated discussion for all participants will follow, led by Victoria and Master Oratory Fellow Lindsey Charron.
Monday, April 19, 2021 7:00 p.m.
This month, we’ll honor the power of poetry to provoke thought and inspire change during National Poetry Month. This workshop will feature a performance of original works by Teaching Artist and actor W. Ellington Felton, and discussion led by W and Master Oratory Fellow Dave McIntire afterwards. Join us for this incredible opportunity to engage with the artist about his powerful poems!
Monday, May 17, 2021 7:00 p.m.
Join us as we discuss the importance of education as a right for all girls and boys everywhere. Ford’s Teaching Artist and actor Yesenia Iglesias will perform an abridged version of Malala Yousafzai’s unforgettable speech to the United National Youth Assembly in 2013. After that, Yesenia and Master Oratory Fellow Jen Stockdell will facilitate a discussion with attendees on how Malala’s words ring true nearly a decade later.
Monday, June 21, 2021 7:00 p.m.
To celebrate Pride, we’ll center our thoughts and discussion around LGBTQ+ rights. Ford’s Teaching Artist and actor Scott Abernethy will perform a speech (TBD), followed by a discussion for all participants facilitated by Scott and Master Oratory Fellow Ben Rivers. We hope you join us for this final workshop in our speech series!
