The field of history is important for many educational, as well as practical, reasons. ... Whether history deals with skateboarding, football, or the Cold War, it helps us to understand where ideas and thoughts originate from, how they have developed over time, and where they are headed toward in the future.

A 2012 story in Perspectives on History magazine by University of North Carolina professor, Bruce Van Sledright, found that 88 percent of elementary school teachers considered teaching history a low priority. In addition, most students find learning about history boring.

In Boone County the Cooperative Extension Service and the Boone County School System partnered on a 4-H after school program taught by a 4-H program assistant focused on the Civil War. Most students do not have a solid understanding about the Civil War, what caused it and how it impacted our culture. That was about to change for sixty, 5^th grade students.

This 8-hour program was offered at two elementary schools. The students applied for a spot as a Civil War ambassador. The goals of the program were to create students who hopefully will become living historians and/or students who love history and want to teach it in their everyday life. The program has been offered for two years and continues to gain popularity.

The “ambassadors” learned: the causes of the Civil War and the importance of the cotton gin; military drills; camp life; and how to teach others about history. “Living the life of the common soldier” allowed the students to participate in hands-on learning and be living historians.

A written survey was conducted at the conclusion of the program, along with observations and input from the classroom teachers and parents. One ambassador stated “life as a soldier was tough”, and another stated the importance of the cotton gin was to slavery. One teacher bragged on the ambassadors repeatedly referring back to their experiences and share aloud with their classmates throughout the school day. She exclaimed, “This truly makes my heart happy knowing how impacted they were and how freely they were sharing the information with peers and parents”.  

The 4-H motto is learn by doing. This program is a perfect example. Kids don’t hate history. They hate the way we teach it! 4-H is setting the example.