10th Street, NW closure

Due to utility work, the intersection of 10th Street and F Street is currently closed and inaccessible to vehicular traffic. The Atlantic Building parking garage can be accessed by turning north on 10th Street from E Street NW. Please use extreme caution when accessing the garage as the block serves 2-way traffic during this closure. Please allow for extra time to arrive at the museum and theatre.

Programs

Our programs empower teachers, inspire students and strengthen civic and classroom learning.
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Looking to bring your students to see where history happened or to see a performance? Looking for a professional community of dedicated teachers?

The Ford’s Theatre Education team offers a host of in-person and virtual programs for teachers and students. Check out our offerings below!

Speak Truth Fellowship

Are you a Secondary Teacher who is passionate about elevating youth voices? Apply today to be a Speak Truth Fellow!
 
The Speak Truth Fellowship is a year-long program for secondary teachers grounded in the evidence-based methodologies of Inspired Teaching and Ford’s Theatre. Fellows learn how to foster lively and insightful student-led seminars on issues that matter by building improvisation, inquiry, oratory, and performance skills.
 
What do Speak Truth Fellows do?
 
• Engage in a 3-day rejuvenating, relevant, and hands-on Institute June 28-30, 9AM - 3PM at Paul Public Charter School | 5800 8th St NW, WDC 20011 (Lunch provided daily.)
• Take home an Inspired Teaching Speak Truth Guidebook and Ford's Theatre's classroom Oratory Posters.
• Plan and implement 3 Speak Truth seminars with your students during the 2022-2023 school year.
• Receive a $500 stipend and a certificate for 30 hours of professional learning.
• Share your practice with others through a series of optional professional development opportunities.
 
Space is limited and preference will be given to educators who work within Washington, DC.

Apply

Our Programs

We offer professional development, teacher preview workshops, field trips and more.

Distance Learning

Distance Learning

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

Set in Stone

Summer 2022

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.

Civil War Washington

Summer 2022

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.

National Oratory Fellowship

August 2021 - May 2022

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.

Field Trips

On-Site Programs

Plan a historic site visit to learn about the events of April 14, 1865, and the lasting impact of Lincoln’s assassination on our nation.

Teacher Preview Workshops

Professional Development

Our Teacher Preview Workshops offer resources to teachers to engage deeply with their students about our current productions.

Student Matinees

On-Site Programs

Ford’s Theatre offers weekday student matinees, post-show discussions and tailored lessons to complement your curriculum.

Lincoln Online Oratory Project

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. 

Oratory Residency and Festival

Oratory

Have your students experience and explore the power of historical speeches. Open to classrooms grades three to eight located in the DC metro area. Classrooms receive five in-person visits with a Ford's Teaching Artist to learn and stage a historical speech performance. The program culminates with classrooms performing their selected speech on Ford's historic stage on one of two festival days in early February.

Sponsors