From July 13 – July 19, Ms. Elizabeth Snyder, teacher at Eisenhower Middle School, had the distinct honor of attending a seminar entitled, The American Civil War: Issues, Strategy, Leadership at Princeton University. According to Ms. Snyder, “The eminent Civil War scholar and historian, James M. McPherson, directed the seminar. Dr. McPherson has written numerous books on the Civil War most notable of which was the Pulitzer Prize winning Battle Cry of Freedom.”
When reflecting on the six-day seminar, Ms. Snyder commented, “This was a rewarding and extraordinary experience. The seminar was conducted in a very collegial atmosphere, where I not only learned about the Civil War, but had the opportunity to interact with outstanding teachers from across the nation.”
In order to participate in the program, Ms. Snyder went through an intense application process. Over 125 people applied for each seminar that was conducted. Ms. Synder was one of thirty selected by the Gilder Lehrman Institute. Ms. Snyder states, “The application process is very competitive. So it is an honor to have been selected.”
The Gilder Lehrman Institute, that sponsored the summer seminar at Princeton, is an organization dedicated to enhancing the teaching of American history. Each summer they offer a variety of summer seminars to teachers focusing on specific topics in American history.