American education once emphasized the positive elements of our nation’s key people, places, and ideas. This emphasis has faded in recent years, replaced by a pedagogy that teaches American values as outdated and American institutions as problematic. What would it look like if we taught American history, and other topics, from a perspective aimed at building support for our national values, institutions, and history?
Since 2021, the National Association of Scholars has been producing a series of virtual events meant to do just this. These events are intended to invite students and the general public to engage with American history, literature, art, and culture, with an eye to showcasing the facets of America that make our nation truly exceptional. The Celebrating America webinar series began with the now-complete American History, American Culture series and continued with the Great American Novel series, which is ongoing through December 2022.
We are now pleased to introduce the third segment in the Celebrating America series: the American Innovation webinar series. The American Innovation series celebrates America's legacy as a land of tinkerers and engineers by showcasing the American inventions and inventors that have shaped our everyday life. The series, which will run from September 2022 to December 2023, will highlight inventions ranging from the steel plow, to the lightbulb, to the laser. You can see and register for upcoming events in the series below.
American Innovation Webinar Series: Upcoming Events
Transforming the Skyline—The Elevator
March 9, 2023, at 2 pm ET
The Invention of the Typewriter
March 21, 2023, at 2 pm ET
Cooling the World: The Invention of the Air Conditioner
April 4, 2023, at 2 pm ET
Eli Whitney and the Cotton Gin
April 18, 2023, at 2 pm ET
The Invention of the Sewing Machine
May 2, 2023, at 2 pm ET
Strong As Steel? The Invention of Nylon
May 16, 2023, at 2 pm ET
Farming and the Steel Plow
May 30, 2023, at 2 pm ET
George Washington Carver and Agricultural Innovation
June 13, 2023, at 2 pm ET
The '50s and the Green Revolution
June 27, 2023, at 2 pm ET
The Invention of the Telegraph
July 11, 2023, at 2 pm ET
Talking from Afar—The Telephone
July 25, 2023, at 2 pm ET
Transforming the Airwaves—The Radio
August 8, 2023, at 2 pm ET
Stay tuned for more...
