By Wendy Swanson
Washington D.C.
Monday, August 23, 2021
Upon the subject of education, not presuming to dictate any plan or system respecting it, I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in.
Abraham Lincoln
New Salem, Illinois
March 9, 1832
The Lincoln Group of DC certainly agrees with Lincoln regarding the importance of education. Our organization is dedicated to education, most specifically, that related to the study and understanding of the life and leadership of Abraham Lincoln himself. Over the years the Lincoln Group has pursued this objective through a variety of events, ranging from dinner programs to seminars to tours of historic spots.
This fall the Lincoln Group is undertaking a new initiative to enhance public knowledge and understanding of Lincoln. This effort involves the development and presentation of a course entitled “Abraham Lincoln: Savior of the Nation” for Arlington’s Encore Learning. The class will explore the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln including his continuing influence today. The lesson plans for the course will serve as a blueprint for future Lincoln Group training endeavors geared toward providing the public with an accurate and complete portrait of the Sixteenth President.
The instructors for the class are Ed Steers, John O’Brien and David Kent; all have experience serving as the president of our organization. They are individuals who know the Lincoln story well and are highly qualified to develop the course material needed to acquaint the public with a true portrait of Lincoln, his actions and beliefs. The topics to be covered during the four-week course are Young Lincoln (Ed Steers), Lincoln as Politician and Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief (David Kent), and Emancipation and Legacy (John O’Brien). Each session will last 90 minutes and will be conducted virtually.
Education today is more important than ever. We live in a time when inaccuracies concerning Lincoln’s life and times abound. These historic misrepresentations occur on social media, in publications and at institutions of learning. Education is needed that is accurate and fact-based. Through our newest outreach endeavor, the Lincoln Group will provide others with the opportunity to engage in an activity considered to be so important by Lincoln, education, and to learn more about the man himself.
Encore Learning is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization founded in 2002. The organization is dedicated to the continuing educational needs of individuals 50 or over, regardless of location. Each year Encore sponsors spring and fall semesters filled with courses on a variety of subjects, this fall extending from A (Abraham Lincoln) to W (Wellness). Courses on various aspects of history are traditionally featured each semester – but this year’s Lincoln course is a first on this subject. Registration for the fall term begins Monday, August 30. There is a fee required for attending. For more information on Encore Learning or about this specific course, see encorelearning.net
The Lincoln quotation on education, shown above, is contained in a statement by Lincoln published in the Sangamo Journal. Lincoln was seeking his first seat in the Illinois General Assembly. Source: Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, edited by Roy P. Basler et al.
(Photo by Alexander Gardner)