Digital Version of Celebrated Hamilton Education Program to Be Offered Free to Schools Nationwide
HAMILTON and The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Bring Hands-On Learning to History
NEW YORK, NY (July 30)--- The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History (GLI) and HAMILTON today announced the launch of a digital version of their innovative education program, to be offered free to nationwide schools serving grades 6–12.
The Hamilton Education Program Online (#EduHamOnline) will launch a pilot program this fall with 76 participating schools from across the country. Middle school students will have access to the education program for the first time. They will join high school students who will engage in a custom-designed education program that integrates the study of American history with the performing arts. Among the program features they will have access to are a wealth of materials on the #EduHamOnline website, including information about more than 45 Founding Era figures, 14 events, and 24 key documents as well as 175 supporting documents, video clips from HAMILTON, and more.
“We’re very excited to make the Hamilton Education Program more readily available to a wider age group of students across the country,” said James G. Basker, president of the Gilder Lehrman Institute. “We hope that every school in America takes advantage of this opportunity, which provides both an educational and an entertaining experience for students.”
As with the current iteration of the Hamilton Education Program, students will be encouraged to use their newfound knowledge to create original pieces—a song, rap, spoken word, or scene—at the end of their classroom studies.
All participants will have the opportunity to enter their work in both a national competition and lottery. Winners, who will be judged by members of the HAMILTON team, as well as regional educators, will be selected once a year and invited to New York City to attend an all-expenses-paid, full-day theater experience, which will include attending a matinee performance of HAMILTON. Schools interested in signing up for the Hamilton Education Program Online should visit gilderlehrman.org/hamilton.
“From everything that has come out of HAMILTON, I am most proud of EduHam and of the students who have created their own incredible work from primary sources,” said HAMILTON creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. “I’m thrilled by the storytelling that comes out of the EduHam curriculum and the hunger it awakens in students who are empowered to dig deeper and find inspiration from our collective history.”
The original education program launched in the spring of 2016 with a goal of serving 250,000 students and teachers in Title I–eligible high schools in select cities throughout the country by the end of 2020. #EduHamOnline will not have a Title I stipulation; all public, private, parochial, and charter schools grades 6–12 can participate.
The pilot program is being funded by The Rockefeller Foundation, which generously provided the seed funding for the creation of the Hamilton Education Program in 2016. Program partners will fundraise for the national launch in the fall of 2020 and for the annual recurring program costs to ensure the program remains free for all participating students in perpetuity.
“We are thrilled to contribute to the continued expansion of the Hamilton Education Program, which has provided a unique experience for students in underserved communities to experience Hamilton in the classroom and on the stage,” said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, president of The Rockefeller Foundation. “The expansion of the digital curriculum allows more students in communities typically unable to access Broadway a chance to engage with HAMILTON in a way that is both educational and inspiring.”
“The Hamilton Education Program has always been about engaging and inspiring the next generation of American youth. The new Hamilton Education Program Online will dramatically expand this mission by giving students and teachers nationwide access to an innovative digital curriculum that contextualizes our complicated history and its ever-lasting importance,” said HAMILTON producer Jeffrey Seller.
Participating 2019 Pilot Schools:
Admiral Richard E. Byrd Middle School, Winchester, Virginia
Almond Bancroft School, Almond, Wisconsin
Amherst Steele High School, Amherst, Ohio
Andrew W. Mellon Middle School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Aspire Community Day School, Hermet, California
Baker High School, Mobile, Alabama
Bangor High School, Bangor, Maine
Berwick Academy, Berwick, Maine
Bremen High School, Midlothian, Illinois
Brewster Academy, Wolfeboro, New Hampshire
Calamus-Wheatland High School, Wheatland, Iowa
Campbell Middle School, Smyrna, Georgia
Charles Carroll Middle School, New Carrollton, Maryland
Cherryland Middle School, Elk Rapids, Michigan
Clovervale Academy, Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Colonel Zadok A. Magruder High School, Rockville, Maryland
Columbia River High School, Vancouver, Washington
Doral Academy Of Nevada Red Rock, Las Vegas, Nevada
Escondido Adventist Academy, Escondido, California
Francis Richmond Middle School, Hanover, New Hampshire
George Washington High School, Charleston, West Virginia
Golden Gate Middle School, Naples, Florida
Grand Island Senior High School, Grand Island, Nebraska
Grants Pass High School, Grants Pass, Oregon
Greenway Middle School, Phoenix, Arizona
Hall School, Bridgeport, Connecticut
Harwood Union Middle High School, South Duxbury, Vermont
Hernandez Middle School, Round Rock, Texas
Holmes Junior High School, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Horizon Elementary School, Glendale, Arizona
Housatonic Valley Regional High School, Falls Village, Connecticut
Independence High School, Independence, Kansas
Jefferson County Middle School, Paintsville, Kentucky
Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Missouri
Krueger Middle School, Michigan City, Indiana
Kuna Middle School, Kuna, Idaho
Laurel Tree Charter School, Arcata, California
Lincoln Academy, Pleasant Grove, Utah
Mayberry Cultural & Fine Arts Middle Magnet, Wichita, Kansas
Monomoy Regional Middle School, Chatham, Massachusetts
Mt. Anthony Union Middle School, Bennington, Vermont
North Eugene High School, Eugene, Oregon
North Junior High School, Boise, Idaho
North Royalton Middle School, N Royalton, Ohio
Odessa High School, Odessa, Missouri
Odyssey Charter School, Wilmington, Delaware
Oakley W. Best Middle School, Dearborn Heights, Michigan
Owensboro High School, Owensboro, Kentucky
Pascagoula High School, Pascagoula, Mississippi
Peabody School, Charlottesville, Virginia
Pinewood Christian Academy, Bellville, Georgia
Ponaganset High School, N. Scituate, Rhode Island
Red Mountain High School, Mesa, Arizona
Rio Rancho Middle School, Rio Rancho, New Mexico
Ripley High School, Ripley, West Virginia
Robert E. Lee High School, Staunton, Virginia
Rockingham Early College High School, Wentworth, North Carolina
Rosa International Middle School, Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Rowva CUSD 208, Oneida, Illinois
Sacred Heart School, Boise, Idaho
Sauganash Elementary School, Chicago, Illinois
Southwest High School, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Spring Hill High School, Chapin, South Carolina
St. Anthony School, Renton, Washington
St. Luke School, Barrington, Rhode Island
Stuart School, Stuart, Oklahoma
Sussex Central High School, Georgetown, Delaware
Swift Creek High School, Afton, Wyoming
The Frankfort Christian Academy, Frankfort, Kentucky
Timberline School, Waukee, Iowa
Tok School, Tok, Alaska
Washington Middle School, Honolulu, Hawaii
Washington Township Middle High School, Valparaiso, Indiana
Wiregrass Ranch High School, Wesley Chapel, Florida
Yellow Springs High School, Yellow Springs, Ohio
Young Audiences Charter School, Gretna, Louisiana
About HAMILTON
With book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, HAMILTON is based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton.
For information on HAMILTON, visit www.HamiltonMusical.com, www.Facebook.com/HamiltonMusical, www.Instagram.com/HamiltonMusical and www.Twitter.com/HamiltonMusical.
About the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Now celebrating its twenty-fifth year, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History was founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, visionaries and lifelong supporters of American history education. The Institute is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to K–12 history education while also serving the general public. Its mission is to promote the knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is supported through the generosity of individuals, corporations, and foundations. The Institute’s programs have been recognized by awards from the White House, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Organization of American Historians, and the Council of Independent Colleges.
For information on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, visit gilderlehrman.org, Facebook.com/gilderlehrman, instagram.com/gilderlehrman and twitter.com/Gilder_Lehrman.
About the Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation advances new frontiers of science, data, policy, and innovation to solve global challenges related to health, food, power, and economic mobility. As a science-driven philanthropy focused on building collaborative relationships with partners and grantees, The Rockefeller Foundation seeks to inspire and foster large-scale human impact that promotes the well-being of humanity throughout the world by identifying and accelerating breakthrough solutions, ideas and conversations. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at rockefellerfoundation.org and follow us on Twitter @RockefellerFdn.
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