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.

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.

No matter where you are, you can learn about President Lincoln’s assassination and Civil War Washington through our distance-learning programs.

Bring your students to see where history was made and learn about Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and its lasting impact on our nation.

Bring your students to see a performance on our historic stage and examine the American experience through live theatre.

We offer teachers the chance to see our mainstage performances for free, plus a workshop to learn strategies for bringing a show’s concepts into your classroom.

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. 

Up to 20 classes in the D.C.-metro area participate in the local festival, with five school visits from a Teaching Artist and a performance on the Ford’s stage.

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.

Summer Institute Alumni: Join Ford's Edu and the Civil War Defenses of Washington on a hike from Fort DeRussy through Rock Creek Park to Fort Stevens. On July 11-12, 1864, Confederates attacked Fort Stevens. President Lincoln attended this battle and was almost shot. Just to the east, Fort DeRussy became heavily engaged in supporting action to defend the capital city.

Summer Institute Alumni: Join Ford’s Edu at the DC History Center for hands-on access to a selection of primary and secondary source materials in the Kiplinger Research Library. Investigate key moments and issues relating to Compensated Emancipation, with a connection to the 21st- century struggle by local civic activists to commemorate the 1862 freeing of more than 3,000 enslaved people in D.C.

Summer Institute Alumni: Join Ford's Edu as we explore two historic cemeteries nestled in Georgetown: Oak Hill Cemetery and Mount Zion Cemetery. Consider how the preservation of these two cemeteries reflects how we remember the African American and white communities of Georgetown and the Civil War in Washington Today.