Mrs. Wregglesworth goes to Washington

Onaway secondary teacher Kymberli Wregglesworth was the lone representative from the State of Michigan on a tour of historic sites that were pivotal turning points in the history of the United States.

Fifty-two teachers, one from each state, the District of Columbia and a U.S. territory, were selected to participate in Ashland University?s 2008 Presidential Academy in Philadelphia, Gettysburg and Washington, D.C.

?It was an absolutely an amazing trip,? said Wregglesworth. ?We got to see so many historical buildings and documents, and places that were really essential to the United States becoming the country that it is today.?

The Presidential Academy is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and coordinated by the Ashbrook Center for Public Affairs at Ashland University.

THE PROFESSORS conducting the Presidential Academy are among the finest scholars of American history and government. The faculty included two Pulitzer prize-winning authors and many recipients of teaching awards at their respective colleges and universities.

Wregglesworth was one of 573 applicants to apply for the grant-funded program. Teachers spent five days in Philadelphia, six days in Gettysburg and six days in Washington, D.C., studying the American Revolution and founding, the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement.

Teachers were exposed to the ideas and arguments that shaped the three American eras, the documents that make up the history of the country and the places where the history was made.

Wregglesworth, who teaches world history, government/civics, women?s studies and current events, was out east for nearly three weeks.

?IT WAS interesting meeting the different teachers who were from different parts of the country and see how their states are handling things like ?No Child Left Behind? and teaching to standardized tests,? she said. ?It was interesting to have a good discussion with teachers from other places who were teaching the same subjects.?

Wregglesworth believed she would represent the smallest di

strict in the U.S., but that wasn?t the case.

?I thought all these people are going to be from big cities, but there were actually some people from smaller schools than Onaway, and I didn?t think there were smaller schools than Onaway,? said Wregglesworth. ?It was a huge honor to represent Onaway and to represent the state of Michigan.?

Wregglesworth hopes to earn a credit to be used toward a master?s degree in American history from Ashland University. She still has to submit two lesson plans before an upcoming deadline. Wregglesworth already has a master?s degree from Michigan State University.

Wregglesworth also serves as advisor for Onaway High School?s National Honor Society.

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