November 2022 Journal Newsletter
Third Annual 24 Hour Telethon!
During our Third Annual 24 Hour Telethon, we are raising donations for our free children’s reading program, Gainesville Reads.
As part of its educational mission, the Northeast Georgia History Center developed Gainesville Reads in 2020 which provides Hall County children with free one-on-one tutoring in literacy skills. Since 2020, Gainesville Reads has helped over 60 local children progress in their reading ability with the support of volunteer tutors.
This program is made possible through donations from the community. During our Third Annual 24 Hour Telethon, all donations will go toward supporting Gainesville Reads.
We are accepting donations now!
If you donate before December 2nd, you’ll receive our Early Bird Extras!
Donate Now
We are seeking local business sponsors for the telethon.
Our Telethon will be broadcast to our 14,200+ Facebook Followers and 2,000+ YouTube Subscribers. Our Telethon is a great way to show potential customers that you support literacy education in your community and provide an excellent service.
Sponsorship Details
Seeking local business sponsors!
Happy 5 Years at the History Center, Libba!
Our Director of the Cottrell Digital Studio, Libba Beaucham, celebrated five years at the History Center last month! Libba joined the team in 2017 as a part-time Media Producer, but quickly became a leader in the development of our digital programs. In 2018, she accepted the position of Director of the Cottrell Digital Studio and has since led the production our live Webcasts for schools, digital programs for the public, social media content, and our podcast. She also portrays historic characters like Juliette Gordon Low, a WW2 Rosie, and Lucy Stone! Libba also led the development of our children’s reading program, Gainesville Reads, which has supported over 60 local children with free one-on-one tutoring.
Here is a reflection from Libba about her time at the History Center so far:
These last five years at the History Center have been such a rewarding and gratifying time of my life, and I expect the next five will only get better. When I first arrived at the History Center, our live Webcasts with historic characters were brand new. It was exciting to be part of something so unique, ahead of its time, and really fun. I joined in October of 2017 when the History Center had performed just three Webcasts. Since then, we have produced 310 Webcasts and “time traveled” with over 17,000 students!
Among the most memorable experiences of my time here was actually during the pandemic. When schools and businesses were shut down, we were able to be there virtually thanks to the Cottrell Digital Studio. For weeks, we provided daily history programs for the public to enjoy from home. The connections we made with folks across the country (and even the world!) are still strong to this day, and it’s a really special feeling to know that we could be there to entertain, teach, and get through a tough time together. Because of these new connections, we created a Digital Membership program that now has over 300 Members!
Before I arrived at the History Center, I was working at a wonderful children’s literacy program in New Haven, Connecticut called New Haven Reads. Given our mission to be an educational resource for the community and my previous experience, I pitched the idea of developing a “sister” program called Gainesville Reads with the consultation of my former teammates at New Haven Reads. During our 2019 Taste of History fundraiser, that idea became a reality. With the support of former Governor Nathan Deal, former First Lady Sandra Deal, and the generous donations of attendees, we raised far more than our initial ask. Since then, Gainesville Reads has supported over 60 local children with free one-on-one tutoring from trained volunteer tutors. (Check out last year’s annual review to see comments from parents about their child’s progress!)
There are so many stories to tell about my time here, but something that is at the root of every story is our passion for what we do. I did not expect to become such a history nerd when I arrived, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
- Libba
Last Month at the History Center
Here are the highlights from our events and programs in October!
Homeschool Day: Harvest Time on the Homestead
Time travel with students to meet historic characters during our live Webcasts
Homeschool History Club with a lesson about World War I
Members Mini-Doc: Meet Mary Musgrove
Members Virtual Trivia Night about the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe
America in World War II Family Day
Collaboration with Elachee Nature Center for a Night Hike with our Education Director Marie Bartlett who provided lessons on Appalachian myths and folklore
Debuted our “headless historian” Squarecrow on the downtown square!
New podcast episodes at www.thenagainpodcast.com
Holiday Quilts & Crafts
The Hall County Quilt Guild will be at the History Center on Saturday, November 5th from 10 AM - 1 PM with a beautiful display of holiday themed quilts and decorative items plus a Christmas ornament creation station. Learn about the history of quilting, how to begin quilting, and take home a handcrafted Christmas ornament! This program is free for Members or included with the price of admission for non-Members.
Members Mini-Doc: The Census Over the Centuries
Our Executive Director Glen Kyle will present this month’s Members Mini-Doc about the history of census taking. For thousands of years, civilizations have kept record of its citizens through a census, and those records provide today’s historians with a wealth of knowledge about various cultures. From the ancient Babylonians to today, Glen will explore what we can glean from census data and share the challenges of the census taker (including a story of Hall County’s first census!)
This program will be available to Members on Friday, November 18th.
In-Person Trivia Night: Thanksgiving History & Traditions
Join us at the History Center on Thursday, November 17th at 7 PM for our in-person Trivia Night! This month’s theme is Thanksgiving History & Traditions. This program is family-friendly and great for all ages.
This program is free for Members. Digital Members will be able to join virtually. Admission is $5 for non-Members.
The winner will receive an Individual Membership for themselves or a friend!
Groups are welcome to team up, but only one Individual Membership will be awarded.
Become a Member to enjoy free access to programs like this!
Ask a Historian: Early Explorers
Members are invited to submit their questions for our monthly “Ask a Historian” topic. This month’s topic is early explorers. Ever wonder how early explorers like Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, Hernan Cortes, and more survived such daring feats? Curious to know what kind of technology they used? What they ate at sea? What dangers they faced? Ask a away and our historians will create a video answer just for you!
Teachers are encouraged to submit questions from their students!
Members can submit their questions using the Members Portal or emailing Libba at libba@negahc.org.
Free Family Day: Voices of Valor - the American Experience of the Vietnam Conflict
The Northeast Georgia History Center invites families and folks to its FREE Family Day Voice of Valor: The American Experience of the Vietnam Conflict on Sunday, November 13th from 1-4PM.
The History Center is honored to host several veterans of the Vietnam War for this event who will share their experiences with visitors. Honor a veteran by planting a flag in our American Freedom Garden, learn how to make a name rubbing, enjoy our living history display with artifacts, and write thank you cards for our active duty servicemen and women just in time for the holidays!
GSE's that will be addressed with our Voices of Valor Family Day:
SS5H5 Discuss the origins and consequences of the Cold War.
SS5H6 Describe the importance of key people, events, and developments between 1950- 1975.
Oral History Project: The Mills of Gainesville
We have just begun a great oral history project with our Digital Studio Interns and the help of researcher and former Gainesville Mill employee Ron Hooper. We are currently seeking folks who worked at or had family who worked at any of Gainesville’s mills (Gainesville Mill, Chicopee Mill, and New Holland Mill.) This project will document the experiences of mill workers and those who lived in the mill villages as well as explore the impact of the mills on Gainesville’s economy and growth since the early 1900s.
Our Digital Studio Interns are Henry Rosenberger and Tyler Kinsey, both film students at the University of North Georgia. Henry and Tyler have been working with Ron Hooper who has conducted great research on the mills of Gainesville.
We look forward to sharing updates with you! For now, if you have any recommendations about who we should interview, please email Libba at libba@negahc.org.
Accepting New Tutors for Gainesville Reads
We currently accepting new volunteer tutors for our free children’s program, Gainesville Reads, for students in 1st-5th grade who struggle with reading. Tutors meet with the same student each week to help them build confidence in their reading skills through fun activities, reading books together, and worksheets that address specific challenges of the student. Training and curriculum is provided.
Details at www.negahc.org/gainesvillereads.
Then Again Podcast
In our latest episode of Then Again, we try out a new episode format and dive into a fascinating Civil War figure:
Recent events have led to the re-evaluation of the memory and commemoration of Confederate symbols and leaders, from statues to street names to military bases. One man, however, seems to come through that re-evaluation as someone who's convictions, in the end, are something to at least respect and perhaps admire... join us as we dive more deeply into the life and legacy of James Longstreet with Richard Pilcher of the Longstreet Society.
Listen now at www.thenagainpodcast.com.
Take our listener survey at this link: Then Again Listener Survey
