Against a black rectangular background sit, from left to right, a white microphone icon and white text reading"History Relevance Coffee Break." Below the black rectangle are the AASLH logo, a collection of circles and "AASLH" written in green text, and the History Relevance logo, writing in blue text.AASLH, in partnership with the History Relevance initiative, is proud to present a new webinar series: History Relevance Coffee Breaks. This short-form webinar series showcases projects by history organizations that are making history relevant to their communities in meaningful, measurable, and replicable ways. In an interview facilitated by a member of the History Relevance initiative steering committee, featured organizations and endorsers of the Value of History Statement share the challenges faced and lessons learned in the development of projects that helped them meet their relevance goals.

Participants of History Relevance Coffee Break webinars will gain practical tips for how organizations can connect issues of the past to issues of the present. Each webinar will aim to meet five participant outcomes. Participants will:

  • learn how the featured organization makes history relevant in measurable and replicable ways
  • feel inspired by the featured organization to endorse the Value of History Statement
  • feel inspired to employ formal survey and evaluation techniques when evaluating the success of their projects
  • feel motivated to think creatively about how they can make history relevant through projects at their own institution
  • learn practical tips for how organizations can connect issues of the past to issues of the present

Each webinar in the History Relevance Coffee Break series is free for members and only $5 for nonmembers!

Please join us for our first History Relevance Coffee Break webinars this year:

  • Thursday, November 29 from 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm EST with Gwen Whiting of the Washington State Historical Society. Gwen will share takeaways from her organization’s work relating past stories of immigration to immigration today through a new permanent exhibit, “Washington, My Home.”
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  • Thursday, December 13 from 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm EST with David McKenzie of Ford’s Theatre. David will discuss how Ford’s Theatre’s prototyping “sprints” have influenced their efforts to connect the past to the present.
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