Athens, Ga. (August 31, 2006) - How Franklin Roosevelt’s personal life and public career were influenced by his polio and the time he spent in rural Georgia was explored this summer during the first “FDR in Georgia” teacher seminar. Educators from throughout the state gathered in Warm Springs July 9-12 for the new program, which was coordinated by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government and sponsored by the Georgia Humanities Council.“While history has documented the many groundbreaking initiatives of FDR’s presidency, we believe that is important for students to understand the important role that Georgia played in the life and legacy of this great American,” explains Mary Stakes, Vinson Institute civic education faculty member and seminar director. Sessions, led by civic education specialists and historical experts, were a mix of lectures, discussions, and site visits and were held at such locations as the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation, the historic therapy pools, the Little White House State Historic Site and museum, and F. D. Roosevelt State Park. Seminar participants also had the opportunity to “interview” the president, aka. well-known FDR reenactor Thomas Wentland.

“The FDR in Georgia seminar was the best teacher workshop that I have ever attended,” reports Coweta County educator Anne Quinn Powell. “All of the sessions provided me with a wealth of information and useful resources.”

The seminar was one of several teacher programs offered annually by the Vinson Institute, which has been helping educators teach about the state for more than 30 years.

This article was posted on Thursday, August 31st, 2006 at 1:56 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.