Ford’s Theatre seeks to create compelling, dynamic learning opportunities for students young and old to learn about the life, presidency and legacy of Abraham Lincoln, as well as the world of Civil War Washington.

The Ford’s Theatre Center for Education and Leadership has significantly expanded our ability to provide learning opportunities on Tenth Street and around the country. The Center opened to the public in February 2012.

Daytime Visits
Whether experiencing a performance in the same place Lincoln did, or following the story of his presidency through the Civil War in the museum, a visit to Ford’s Theatre brings history to life for students of all ages. Learn and grow through history plays, theatrical walking tours and special learning adventures on site.

Post-Visit Workshops
In these hour-long workshops, students enhance their visit to the site by delving deeper into historic scenarios and primary source documents. Students come away with a better understanding of some of the defining moments in our nation’s history.

Mainstage Matinees
Ford's Theatre offers weekday matinees of its mainstage shows at times that are appropriate for school attendance.

Oratory at Ford's Theatre
Ford’s Theatre Society oratory programs, such as our Target Oratory Festival, Speak Like the President and Special Oratory Programs teach young people how to speak their minds using theatre, rhetoric and history. Teaching artists offer programs out of school time—on site at schools or at the Center for Education and Leadership—and working with classroom teachers during the day to bring history alive and to ignite the desire to make a difference.

Oratory Tips and Tricks
In an effort to support budding orators beyond the D.C.-metro area, we’ve created a series of short videos that capture some basic elements of our oratory programs.

Distance Learning
Using live video-conferencing or Internet-based interactions, Ford’s Theatre will bring the story of President Lincoln’s assassination and the world of Civil War Washington into classrooms across the nation.

Learning Online
A range of online resources allows learners near and far to understand more about the Civil War, President Lincoln and Ford’s Theatre, bringing moving events to life with the click of a mouse.

Portable Production
These programs produced by Ford’s Theatre were created to educate and inspire students.

Ford’s Theatre Society thanks BP America for its sponsorship of our 2012-2013 Education Programs.

Photo of Oratory in American Culture student by Mark Ramont.