Connecticut’s Old State House wins 2016 AASLH Award of Merit for the Connecticut’s Kid Governor civics program

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Local Contact:

Chris Zaccaro
chris.zaccaro@cga.ct.gov
(860) 522-6766
Connecticut’s Old State House

AASLH Contact:

Bethany Hawkins
hawkins@aaslh.org
(615) 320-3203

NASHVILLE, TN - The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) proudly announces that Connecticut’s Old State House is the recipient of an Award of Merit for its statewide civics program, Connecticut’s Kid Governor. The AASLH Leadership in History Awards, now in its 71st year, is the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history.

Connecticut’s Kid Governor is a statewide, in-school civics program for 5^th graders that was created by Connecticut’s Old State House in 2015. Timed to coincide with Election Day in November, each school in Connecticut is eligible to enter one student candidate into a statewide election that other 5^th graders vote in. With the goal of inspiring young students to be lifelong agents of change, active participants in our government and registered voters when they turn 18, this innovative program illustrates how elections work and how Connecticut residents of all ages can choose to participate in our democratic society. This past fall, hundreds of Connecticut 5^th graders participated in the program’s first ever election and Elena Tipton, a 5^th grade student at Dr. Thomas O’Connell School in East Hartford, became the first Connecticut’s Kid Governor after running on a campaign for kindness. You can learn more about Connecticut’s Kid Governor, both the program and the student, by visiting the program’s website, CT.KidGovernor.org.

 

This year, AASLH is proud to confer sixty-three national awards honoring people, projects, exhibits, and publications. The winners represent the best in the field and provide leadership for the future of state and local history. Presentation of the awards will be made at a special banquet during the 2016 AASLH/MMA Annual Meeting in Detroit, Michigan, on Friday, September 16. The banquet is supported by a generous contribution from the History Channel.

The AASLH awards program was initiated in 1945 to establish and encourage standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history throughout the United States. The AASLH Leadership in History Awards not only honor significant achievement in the field of state and local history, but also bring public recognition of the opportunities for small and large organizations, institutions, and programs to make contributions in this arena. For more information about the Leadership in History Awards, contact AASLH at 615-320-3203, or go to www.aaslh.org.

Located in historic downtown Hartford, Connecticut’s Old State House served as a seat of government for the Constitution State from 1796 to 1878. Now serving as one of the state’s most-historically significant museums, the Old State House offers interactive and participatory school programs that focus on the history of the building, the role Connecticut played during the 18^th and 19^th centuries, civic participation and how government works. In addition to the Connecticut’s Kid Governor program, Connecticut’s Old State House also leads Connecticut History Day, another statewide school program that has encouraged thousands of Connecticut students in grades 6-12 to explore local, state, national and world history. For more information on admission prices, school programs, and upcoming events, follow Connecticut’s Old State House on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit the museum online at www.ctoldstatehouse.org.

The American Association for State and Local History is a not-for-profit professional organization of individuals and institutions working to preserve and promote history. From its headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, AASLH provides leadership, service, and support for its members who preserve and interpret state and local history in order to make the past more meaningful in American society. AASLH publishes books, technical publications, a quarterly magazine, a monthly newsletter, and maintains numerous affinity groups and committees serving a broad range of constituents across the historical community. The association also sponsors regional and national training workshops and an annual meeting.