Together with the School District of Philadelphia, the Carpenters’ Company of Philadelphia has launched The Young Philadelphian’s Continental Congress (YPhCC). YPhCC strengthens the knowledge and power of history, increases understanding of our democracy, and galvanizes civic action for high school students and teachers. The Young Philadelphians’ Continental Congress supports the School District of Philadelphia’s goals for high school students in history, civics, and social studies. Inspired by Carpenters’ Hall’s national program, The Young People’s Continental Congress, we hope YPhCC will be a lasting legacy of the semi-quincentennial year.
This past spring, 16 teacher/ student delegate pairs convened inside Carpenters' Hall and neighboring institutions over the course of five Saturdays. Site visits included the Museum of the American Revolution, the National Constitution Center, the National Liberty Museum, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Each session included a morning lecture, an afternoon tour, educational programming, and plenty of time to network and engage with teachers, students, guest lecturers and professors.
YPhCC grants teachers the benefit of a unique multi-month professional development and networking opportunity, while building relationships with Philadelphia’s key historic sites, museums and archives. High school students get to engage in cross-city dialogue among their peers and develop their own Declaration of Aspirations. YPhCC creates a lasting impact for our high school students and teachers that will provide a deep appreciation of Philadelphia’s rich heritage and history, while launching their journey into a lifetime of civic engagement. As residents of the city where the United States was born, young Philadelphians are uniquely positioned to use the lessons of history to inform and fuel their active participation as American citizens. As Benjamin Franklin stated, "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."
