PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — High school students from dozens of states and territories are getting an up-close, hands-on history lesson right here in Philadelphia.
The Young People’s Continental Congress will bring history to life over the next week. More than 50 students and their teachers will learn about the ideals and principles that played a part in the founding of the country.
“To hopefully help create the next generation of informed and thoughtful citizens,” said Cathy Gorn, executive director of National History Day, the organization that runs the program.
The student delegates will learn more about how the Second Continental Congress met to draft the Declaration of Independence 250 years ago, and they’ll consider its meaning in today’s America.
While in Philly, students will visit museums and historic sites, as well as put together their own joint Declaration of Independence. They’re calling it the Declaration of Aspirations of American Democracy.
“They’ve already been working very hard since January,” said Gorn. “They’ve been reading and listening to webinars and doing a lot of studying.”
For high school junior Sophia Wick, marching to Carpenters’ Hall while accompanied by a fife and band is an experience she will not soon forget.
“Super exciting and an opportunity that I’m super grateful for,” she said. “To be able to talk to other peers who are interested in early American history is a super cool thing.”
