On Friday, July 16 and Saturday, July 17, the “Incorporating Local History and Genealogy in the Classroom” Teachers Workshop will give area teachers an opportunity to engage with and learn techniques to incorporate local history and genealogy issues and topics into the current classroom sitting as well as see and find partnerships with heritage organizations and resources that are easily available to engage students inside and outside the classroom. The event will begin on Friday night at 5:30 pm and end on Saturday at 4:30 pm. Several organizations and speakers will provide presentations including Dr. Daryl Carter, Christopher Grisham, Ryan C. Bernard, Lisa Oakley, Casey Gymrek, Anne G’Fellers Mason, Joe Spiker, and Dr. Megan Cullen Tewell, and resources from organizations such as the Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, the Jonesborough Genealogical Society, East Tennessee Historical Society, the Archives of Appalachia, the Overmountain Victory Trail Association, the State of Franklin Chapter, National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution, the Kings Mountain Chapter, Tennessee Sons of the American Revolution, and others. This event is FREE but requires registration by visiting jgstn.org/10815-2.

This event has been put together through partnerships of the Jonesborough Genealogical Society, Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, East Tennessee Historical Society, East Tennessee History Center, Archives of Appalachia, State of Franklin Chapter, National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution, Kings Mountain Chapter, Tennessee Sons of the American Revolution, Wild Women of Jonesborough, and Overmountain Victory Trail Association.

The event schedule is below and is subject to change:

Friday July 16
5:30 pm Welcome and Introductions

6 pm – 7 pm Dr. Daryl Carter, Professor of History and Interim Director of Africana Studies, East Tennessee State University, “Incorporating Racial, Cultural and Minority History in the Classroom”

7 pm – 8 pm Christopher Grisham, K-12 Education Manager, Tennessee State Museum, “Artifacts are Primary Sources Too”

Christopher Grisham is currently the K-12 Education Manager for the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville, Tennessee and has worked for the Tennessee State Museum for over 10 years. He also has been a former Elementary Classroom Teacher as well. This year Tennessee turns 225 years old, and the Tennessee State Museum is commemorating this anniversary with an exhibit entitled Tennessee at 225: Highlights from the Collection.  As you know, primary sources are one of the best ways for students to explore and learn about the past. The State Museum has chosen 100 artifacts that we believe help tell the long and diverse story of Tennessee. Join K-12 Education Manager, Christopher Grisham, as he unlocks the stories of these Tennessee objects and demonstrate the various ways they can be used in your classroom to connect your student to Tennessee history.

Saturday July 17

9 am Welcome

9:30 am – 10:30 am Ryan C. Bernard, Education & Outreach Archivist, Archives of Appalachia

Ryan C. Bernard is the Education and Outreach Archivist for the Archives of Appalachia at East Tennessee State University. Ryan has a master’s degree in Appalachian Studies from East Tennessee State University. Ryan played in the old-time band in the East Tennessee State University Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music program. He has played in several string-bands in the region, most recently The Sulphur Springs String Dippers. His research focus during his time at East Tennessee State University was the early commercial recordings of traditional, southern Appalachian music in the 1920s and 1930s. In 2010, he finished his second master’s degree in library science from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and worked at King University until July 2019 as an Outreach Librarian and Program Coordinator/Associate Professor for the Appalachian Studies Minor. In 2013, Ryan was part of curatorial content team that designed the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol. Ryan taught fiddle, banjo, and old-time string-band in the Washington County-Virginia JAM program for four years and currently performs with his wife, Amy as the old-time duo—The Bluebirds. Ryan returned to East Tennessee State University to work in the Archives of Appalachia in 2019.

10:30 am – 11:30 am Anne G’Fellers Mason, Executive Director, Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, “In Their Own Words: Museum Theatre as a Teaching Tool”

Anne G’Fellers-Mason is the Executive Director of the Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. She’s worked at the Alliance since 2008. She has a Bachelor of Arts in History/Theatre from Mars Hill University, a Master of Arts in History from East Tennesssee State University, and a Master of Fine Arts in Playwriting from Hollins University. She combines her degrees to write history-based plays for the Alliance, including “A Spot On the Hill” that takes place every fall in the Old Jonesborough Cemetery. During her time with the Heritage Alliance, she has researched and created thirteen different pieces of museum theatre that have been performed in the Chester Inn State Historic Site, the Jonesborough & Washington County History Museum, in the Old Jonesborough Cemetery, in schools, libraries, and even in historic barns. Anne is also a published author through Mountain Gap Books. Her titles include The Summer Between, Haints and Hollers: New Ghost Tales from Appalachia, and Shelved: Appalachian Resilience Amid COVID-19.

11:30 am – 1 pm Lunch on own

1 pm – 2 pm Lisa Oakley, Curator of Education, East Tennessee Historical Society, ETHS Education and Using Genealogy in the Classroom

Lisa N. Oakley is the Curator of Education at the East Tennessee Historical Society in Knoxville and holds a M.A. in History with an Emphasis in Historic Preservation (Public History) from Middle Tennessee State University. Her area of academic study and research is Appalachian culture and history, as well as the interpretation of the African American enslaved community. During her 30-year tenure as curator of education with the East Tennessee Historical Society, Ms. Oakley has worked directly with students in a museum setting as well as through classroom outreach, an experience which extended into service to teachers. Between 1993 and 2014, Ms. Oakley directed three U.S. Department of Education Teaching American History grants, as well as designed and implemented over a dozen highly regarded and award-winning teacher institute/workshop grant projects with Humanities Tennessee, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. These years of successful professional development projects led to the establishment of an annual sponsorship relationship with Humanities Tennessee from 2015 to the present.

2 pm – 3 pm Casey Gymrek, Education Specialist, Tennessee State Library and Archives, TSLA Education Outreach

Casey Gymrek is the Education Outreach Archivist at the Tennessee State Library and Archives in Nashville, Tennessee. The Education Outreach team at the Tennessee State Library and Archives provides social studies standards-based resources for teachers and students throughout the state, where they “bring Tennessee history alive in the classroom!”

3 pm – 4 pm Joe Spiker, Head Docent of the Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum, and Dr. Megan Cullen Tewell, Programming Coordinator of the Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, “Experiencing History Multiple Ways: Teaching History on Site and Through Zoom”

Joe Spiker joined the Heritage Alliance in 2016 as the head docent of the Chester Inn Museum. He received his B.S. and M.A. degree in History and has research interests in social, cultural, and Appalachian history. His museum career includes exhibit design, program development, and digital content creation, and he has received awards from the Tennessee Association of Museums, East Tennessee Historical Society, and most recently the Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association for projects including the History Happy Hour program, the “If You Don’t Watch Out” digital exhibit, and the “With the Victorians” digital series.

Megan Cullen Tewell, PhD, joined the Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee and in October 2019 as Programming Coordinator. She is an experienced and versatile public history professional with a background in education, collections, exhibitions, publishing, and community programs. Over the years, Megan has successfully worked with universities, museums, historical societies, and archives in various capacities. She completed her academic training in July 2020, earning her doctorate in public history. Overall, she is committed to utilizing public historical practices to engage, educate, and inspire audiences from a variety of backgrounds.

4 pm – 4:30 pm Closing Remarks