Museum at Bethel Woods holds Inauguration Day program

BETHEL, NY — On Tuesday, January 20, The Museum at Bethel Woods will kick off its 2009 education program and bring history to life through a special Inauguration Day event for local school groups. Over 500 students grades five through 12 will gather at The Museum at Bethel Woods for this free event to watch and discuss President Obama’s inauguration and the surrounding ceremonies.

The event will include a lecture on presidential inaugurations and the historic significance of Barak Obama’s election, led by special guest Amy Colón, Assistant Professor of American History at Sullivan County Community College, a screening of President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address and a live viewing inauguration of President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden live. Professor Colón will lead a final discussion with students following the ceremonies.

Attending Inauguration Day at Bethel Woods will be Duggan Elementary, Liberty Middle School, Liberty High School, Light and Life Christian School, Middletown High School, Monticello High School, Sullivan West, Tri-Valley, and Youngsville School, as well as White Sulfur Methodist Church Youth Group and Sullivan County BOCES.

Other schools will participate in the museum’s in-class lesson program on Presidential inaugurations, including Pennsylvania’s Damascus Area School and Tri-Valley School, Light and Life Christian School and Sullivan West in New York, to address at least 12 different classes, reaching over 500 students including 200 additional students who cannot attend the Inauguration Day program itself.

During these grade-appropriate lessons, students will learn about the key players in an inauguration, its location and traditions, and will read and discuss excerpts from John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural addresses. The lesson will conclude with a writing assignment, maximizing the learning opportunity afforded by Inauguration Day at Bethel Woods.

The program was the first of a series planned this year, during which Bethel Woods’ education programs are planned to grow substantially.

For more information email imhughes@BethelWoodsCenter.org or call 845/583-2097.