Gettysburg Park Rangers to Appear in Classrooms via Broadcast

Schools, broadcast stations invited to register for free, national satellite broadcast

GETTYSBURG, Pa., Jan. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Gettysburg National Military Park and the Gettysburg Foundation will offer "Big Deal at Gettysburg: The Value of Historical Places" on Feb. 12, 2010 at 1 p.m. EST. The free, hour-long, national satellite broadcast will be available to schools and broadcast stations, which can receive the show on C Band or KU Band and air it when it is most convenient and beneficial to teachers and viewers.

Gettysburg National Military Park's 2004 satellite broadcast reached more than 10 million school students nationwide and received a Telly Award honoring the best local, regional and cable television programs. Viewers of this year's broadcast will follow business executive Elizabeth Hoover's journey (along with her teenage son) as she tries to secure key Gettysburg properties for her firm. But will she leave Gettysburg understanding that historic value sometimes trumps property value? Elizabeth's journey will take her to the historic Spangler Farm, the Gettysburg Railroad Station, the David Wills House and the Soldiers' National Cemetery as she rediscovers a battle, and a speech ("The Gettysburg Address") that shaped a nation. The broadcast is designed to be shown in three segments (approximately 20 minutes each) with online discussion questions and activities for each segment (available at www.gettysburgfoundation.org). The broadcast and accompanying lessons were designed in accordance with the National Council for Social Studies curriculum standards and themes.

To register to receive the satellite coordinates, schools and broadcast stations can visit www.gettysburgfoundation.org and click on the satellite broadcast box on the homepage. Additional information can be obtained by contacting Heidi Myers at 717-338-1243 or via e-mail at [email protected].

The broadcast is made possible through generous gifts to the Gettysburg Foundation, the nonprofit partner of the National Park Service at Gettysburg, from Bob and Marion Wilson of Rancho Sante Fe, Calif., and the Winnick Family Foundation. The production is a program of the Ford Motor Company Fund Education Center, made possible by the Ford Motor Company Fund.

The Gettysburg Foundation is a private, non-profit educational organization working in partnership with the National Park Service to enhance preservation and understanding of the heritage and lasting significance of Gettysburg. The Foundation raised funds for and now operates the Museum and Visitor Center at Gettysburg National Military Park, which opened in April 2008. In addition to operating the Museum and Visitor Center, the Foundation has a broad preservation mission that includes land, monument and artifact preservation and battlefield rehabilitation — all in support of the National Park Service's goals at Gettysburg.

For information about the Foundation, about visiting Gettysburg, or how you can become a part of the history of Gettysburg through your contribution, visit www.gettysburgfoundation.org or call 877-874-2478 or the administrative offices at 717-338-1243.

Gettysburg National Military Park is a unit of the National Park Service that preserves and protects the resources associated with the Battle of Gettysburg and the Soldiers' National Cemetery, and provides an understanding of the events that occurred there within the context of American history. Information is available at www.nps.gov/gett.

SOURCE Gettysburg Foundation