Quick Facts
- GETTING READY FOR 2016:
A Call to Action- Action Item:
- History Lesson
- Also Promotes:
- A Class Act
- State:
- Georgia
- Year Accomplished:
- 2012
A group of five youth from Americus-Sumter High School participated in the inaugural year of Andersonville National Historic Site's Historical Interpreter Apprentice Program (HIAP). Participants committed every Saturday morning from mid-January until the culminating event of the park's living history weekend in mid-March. During their Saturday sessions the apprectices studied the history of Andersonville, practiced ways to communicate historical information and took field trips to observe other sites.
Historically, Andersonville prison held a number of soldiers who were younger than 18, and HIAP participants David Busman, Carl Johnson, Jerhvon Pearman, Tye Scala, and Meghan Bortscheller shared their important stories both inside and outside the prison. This new program was created not only to present a wider range of prisoner experiences but also to encourage young, local students to volunteer with the park throughout the year. The program was led by Ranger Stephanie Steinhorst and assisted by Americus-Sumter High School social studies teacher, Chris Barr. Funding for the first year of the program was made possible by a grant from the National Park Foundation.
The park plans to continue the program, and extend new opportunities to students in our area. High school students are the same age as many of the prisoners held here during the Civil War, and their presence not only helps the park to better interpret the prisoner experience but will also reach out to less traditional audiences.