So often, when businesses celebrate an anniversary, they host a reception in their own office space. This decision may or may not be a good idea. Does your office space project the right image for your business? Is the location convenient? Is the space too small or too cluttered for your guests, food, and entertainers? Are there privacy issues? Will prospective clients come to your event when they know they will be “sold to” because, after all, they are in your office space?

There are all kinds of function spaces you can rent, but if you are celebrating an anniversary – meaning, a key event in your business’s history – why not use the opportunity to connect with your historical community?

When your signature anniversary event takes place in the setting of a historical building, especially one that is beloved by your community, you will:

• boost your reputation as a member of the historical community (to your customers and the general public as well as to the board, staff, and members of the nonprofit that owns the building)

• show that you understand your business’s contributions within a historical context (work with a historian to flesh out your story)

• demonstrate that you care about local history, preservation, and culture (this is good for your reputation; you will attract new customers and cement your existing customers' their loyalty)

• attract media attention you might not otherwise secure (in your statements to the press, be sure to encourage others to join you in preserving the building and the nonprofit)

Your business anniversary presents all kinds of opportunities for you to promote your business. Hosting your signature event in a historical setting is one way, and it’s a very effective means toward changing how people think about you. It also allows you to interact with people in a non-direct sales environment.

At the same time, for a modest investment on your part, you will be contributing to the preservation of one of your community’s irreplaceable architectural resources and securing the good wishes of the building’s stewards.

That’s legacy-building stuff that will serve you well now, in the future, and during your 200^th anniversary!

There are lots of them out there – weeks, months, and days devoted to recognizing something historical. In the U.S., we have Black History Month (February), Women’s History Month (March), Preservation Week (May), and the list goes on. Globally, we have International Women’s Day on March 8.

Because my historical expertise is in women’s history, I will focus on March for the moment. But the larger point, which applies across the board, is: Where can you make connections between your business and these nationally and internationally designated historical holidays? How can you get involved and call attention to your business?

Some ideas for you:

• Find out who is “doing something” in your community for National Women’s History Month. Contact your historical society, public library, National Park Service site, museum, high school, or college. Ask if you can sponsor their program, and then show up at the event to be introduced, staff an information table, and make a special offer. If no one has anything planned, ask if you can help facilitate a program. With small nonprofits, the sticking points are usually lack of staff time and funding. Ask how you can help. If you have a large enough facility to host a program, do something at your place of business! Can you invite other businesses that cater to women to participate? Can you work with your Chamber of Commerce to promote the event? Your leadership should be visible, and you can easily become a hero to a whole lot of people.

• For International Women’s Day, visit the official International Women’s Day Web site to find out who is doing what and where. The theme this year for 2011 is female authors and artists. Are there authors and artists in your community to whom you could make a gift to support their work? They all need financial assistance and attention. Could you host a reception or mount an exhibit? All of this work could be done in honor of the woman or women you have selected AND in honor of International Women’s Day -- and heavily promoted.

• Is there an international effort to empower women to which you could donate? The vast majority of overseas micro loans go to women. Why? Because with the same money, men will buy guns and drugs. Women will feed their family, start a business, and support their community – all of which promotes peace. You would be amazed at how far your dollars can go. Can you make a donation in honor of your women employees? Host an all-staff reception to explain what you have done and why? This will also make a terrific press release.  

These are just three suggestions, but you get the idea. Don’t let these opportunities to connect with new audiences and expand the reach, importance, and credibility of your business pass you by!

People will take notice. They will respect you (especially the women), and say, “Wow, good for them. I would never have expected it.”

This is a great time for your business to shine!

A few weeks ago, I opened my mail to find a stunning, new publication from the Cambridge (MA) Historical Society where I have been a member for many years. Titled “Rediscovering the Hooper-Lee-Nichols House” (the Society’s “home” on Brattle Street, near Harvard Square), the beautifully designed, 42-page book documents the history of the 325-year-old house, its occupants, and the rigorous preservation process the Historical Society just completed.

The book’s contributors include some of the most noted scholars, preservationists, and conservators in the area. The photography of the preservation process, historic maps, and portraits really bring the story to life. This is easily the most important book written about one of Cambridge’s most important historic houses. And because the house is located on the former “Tory Row,” near where George Washington first took command of the Continental Army , it carries national significance.

How was the Cambridge Historical Society able to produce this publication?, I wondered. As a published author myself, I know how much time and expense the writing and editing can take. As a graphic designer, I know that the cost of design, photography, printing, and mailing can be prohibitive for a small nonprofit organization.

The Historical Society had not only produced the book, they sent a FREE COPY to every single member.  Again, How were they able to do this? I’ve also been the director of a historical society, and there is no way we could have produced and mailed such a publication without a large financial contribution.

The answer lay in the executive director’s cover letter: The Cambridge Savings Bank .

And there, on the back cover of the book, was an ad for the bank proudly announcing their 175^th anniversary with the tagline “Celebrating and honoring local history together.” They pointed out that the bank has been a landmark in Cambridge for many years, just like the Hooper-Lee-Nichols House.

Wow! Smart bank.

Do you think every member of the Cambridge Historical Society feels grateful and loyal to the Cambridge Savings Bank for allowing this book to be produced? You bet!

The bank can also get huge media mileage out of their generosity, distribute the books to schools and libraries, make them available at book stores…the list of opportunities for visibility goes on.

And not only will the bank’s generosity reap business benefits today, like attracting customers, boosting customer loyalty and their reputation in the community, their gift has produced an important publication that will be around forever.

What a brilliant way to mark two historic milestones – the Cambridge Savings Bank at 175 years, and the Hooper-Lee-Nichols House at 325 years.

If your business is celebrating a milestone, please contact your local historical society or museum and ask about their publishing projects. Make history for your own business AND celebrate your community's history in a lasting, meaningful way.

What happened in this story completely changed how I thought about my work in American women’s history, how I give every talk, how I write every book, and how I work with every client. It happened to take place in Boston, but the principals of historical connectedness and business opportunities for YOU could apply anywhere.

What happened is this.

Simmons College, my alma mater, was hosting a conference of international women economists and the organizers asked me to lead a walking tour of women’s history sites in downtown Boston. As someone who has led dozens of tours in Boston, I agreed, but I later realized that I was not at all prepared for this particular audience nor for their emotional response to the stories I told.

Twenty women and one man, who was a colleague of two of the women, joined me for the tour. Only two women were American. One other woman, who was from New Zealand, spoke English as her first language. All of the other women and the one man hailed from parts of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. I was impressed that these prominent economists from all over the world, who had traveled to Boston to be part of serious work, were also interested in Boston women’s history.

I was also mindful of the fact that for many Americans, “history,” specifically, our national history, is awfully recent compared with theirs. In fact, I joked about it while standing in front of the — to them — modern 1795 Massachusetts State House.

Even so, as I led my walk participants through the busy streets of downtown Boston, complete with noisy traffic and construction, they hung on my every word. They also peppered me with questions, and it slowly but forcefully dawned on me that in some cases I was talking to the Lucy Stones, the Sarah Parker Remonds, and the Elizabeth Cady Stantons of their countries today.

They wanted real information about how “our” women overcame obstacles to achieve woman suffrage, quality education, legal justice, an end to slavery, and equality. (We agreed, however, that America has yet to achieve full equality.)

For me, it was a powerful moment when I “got it,” and when they saw that I had. I could not even imagine the obstacles faced by some of these women in their countries. And yet, they were all determined economists who had no doubt risked everything from social isolation to violence to improve the lives of their families and communities. They still are.

Global impact

We sometimes forget that the ideals of the American Revolution — freedom, equality, and justice — inspired revolutionary activity throughout Europe in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Later, labor movements on that continent spread over here. Today, despite wearying political games in Washington, two controversial “wars,” a troubled economy, and growing awareness of our problems with racism, poverty, and health care, the world still looks to America for inspiration and hope, and many of us look abroad for solutions. We can all learn from each other!

Margaret Fuller, one of America’s first transnationals, wrote beautifully on this subject in her dispatches from Rome in 1850 during the Italian Revolution. She believed that America did have a special role, indeed a special obligation, to other parts of the world where the cause of liberty required support — not the support of heavy-handed governments and armies, but that of respectful friends with a common purpose and shared ideals.

We have seen the results of heavy-handed intervention play out for centuries, often disastrously, especially for poor people and women. But today, along the lines of what Fuller envisioned, we see an international movement, fueled with a whole lot of American money, to fund woman-owned micro businesses around the world and call attention to the status of women globally during International Women’s Day. Today, American leaders, like Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton, make women’s rights a priority in U. S. foreign policy and hold governments accountable for their actions. And with the Internet, we are more connected than ever. Whatever your politics, everything has shifted.

What are your business opportunities?

• If you are a global company, what do you know about the history of the countries where your offices are located? What do you know about the links between and among the countries you serve? This information is not only helpful for better relations among employees, but it could add real depth to your marketing vehicles and show, with appreciation on the part of your customers, that you respect their culture. You could host special events to showcase the histories of the nations your company represents, and that “event” could be online, on video, and made part of your Web site.

• If you are an American company and you interact with visitors from overseas who frequent your hotel, restaurant, or attraction, are there ways you could make them feel more welcome? Beyond multi-language publications and tours, how can you send a message of respect and interest? Individualized gifts in their hotel room? A special “welcome” flier? Tickets to a performance or history tour? If you are not sure about the right message to send or the historical information, work with your local historic organization or museum. They “get” these linkages.

• There really is a global movement underway to empower women. How can your business send a supporting message to your customers, employees, and the public? Could you donate to a particular organization? Fund a micro business overseas? Back the efforts of staff members who are involved in a worthy cause?

Naturally, be proud of and publicize what you do and why!

Like many Americans whose world history education was minimal, I am learning more every day about how the US and the rest of the globe interrelate. I really do see opportunities for businesses to reach out in a deeply thoughtful and respectful way to attract and impress customers through non-sales methods.

This is not small stuff by any means.

Understanding between cultures needs to play out on multiple levels if we are to make the changes we need. And your business could be a part of it!

Public history is booming today, and it’s thrilling to see. Many years ago, when I was an undergraduate history major at Simmons College in Boston, people always said, “Well, that’s nice, but what are you going to DO with that history degree?” Hence, my second degree in Communications, which would lead to a “real job,” I was assured.

Today, Public History Institutes and Museum Studies Programs are opening and thriving because there are plenty of real jobs in public history. In Massachusetts alone, where I am based, there is a new Public History Institute at Gordon College, a similar program at Simmons College, museums studies programs at Harvard and Tufts Universities, and the list goes on.

What is “public history,” you ask?

Very simply, it’s “history” done outside of the classroom. Reenactments, tours, historic house interpretation, traditional skills and crafts demonstrations – all of these are good examples, and then there are more static methods like history murals, statues of historical figures, interpretive panels in parks or along walkways, and historic markers.

For your business, public history provides incredible opportunities for visibility and to show that you care about your local history. Think about the word “public” in “public history.” Public history is done out in the open, in public, and reaches potentially thousands of people.

And I can’t think of one public history initiative that doesn’t need support. The talented people involved are doing what they do out of love, but they deserve to be paid and public history projects need to be funded. Telling our stories – which is really what history is – is about who we are historically, how we got to where we are today, and what we can learn for tomorrow. The stories are inspiring, thought-provoking, and important. When they are told outside of the classroom, the stories resonate. They stay with us.  

By supporting public history practitioners and sites with your business dollars, marketing, and PR savvy, not only will your business derive huge benefits from your investment you will also be part of something “larger” – something meaningful and lasting. Those are two very big “wins.”

Here are just three examples of the kinds of public history initiatives you could back.

• Contact your local National Park Service site.
Many Park Service sites have a Friends Group that provides essential funding for programs, publications, collection acquisition, restoration projects, marketing and PR – you name it. And I happen to know that within the Park Service itself, historic house sites receive the least amount of federal funding (for inexplicable reasons). These sites need financial, program, and marketing help and they do some of the best public history work that’s out there. Think about Minuteman National Historical Park in Concord, MA; Adams National Historical Park in Quincy, MA; Salem Maritime National Historic Site in Salem, MA; and Longfellow National Historic Site in Cambridge, MA. I am lucky enough to enjoy warm relationships with the staff at each one of these places, and they present STELLAR tours, talks, reenactments, and demonstrations – all for free. Park Service rangers really bring history to life with talent and passion. And when you get involved with them, you will have the prestige of the National Park Service associated with your business. That’s big.

• Seek out the reenactors in your community.
It’s no fun being a starving actor, and these people make history “real” in ways that have a significant and lasting impact on their audience. I’m sure you have encountered actors in historical character, whether it was at Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, MA; Orchard House in Concord, MA where “Louisa May Alcott” (aka Jan Turnquist) makes frequent appearances; at events like the Margaret Fuller Bicentennial when “Margaret” (aka Jessa Piaia) and Edgar Allan Poe (aka Rob Velella) engaged in a spirited conversation about literature and Transcendentalism at Concord’s Old Manse; or at the Derby House in Salem, MA, where “Mr. and Mrs. Derby” (aka real-life husband-and-wife Jim Hollister and Emily Murphy) discuss early 1800s Salem politics, business, and gossip. Kids, especially, love this stuff! And you can be a real hero in your community by backing these talented performers. And don’t forget to invite them to perform at your place of work!

• Work with your local historic house museum.
Many of these houses are owned by your historical society, but some are managed by independent or regional nonprofit organizations. Here in New England, for example, Historic New England and The Trustees of Reservations own dozens of important historic houses, along with the National Park Service, historical societies, museums, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and family trusts. Whatever the size of the managing organization, all historic houses need help with preservation, marketing, and fundraising. You’ve probably visited some of these places yourself, so you know that, done well, historic houses “illustrate” the past in a compelling way. They preserve what we historians call our “material culture.” Through tours, talks, traditional crafts and skills demonstrations, these homes of our ancestors give visitors a vivid sense of what it was like to live in previous centuries. Find out how you can contribute!   

The tactic to take with any of these suggestions is “partnership from the start,” to use a phrase coined by the business coach Lisa Sasevich. You are not just writing a check, you are entering into a strategic partnership that will benefit both sides.

Be shamelessly proud of your association with your public historians, sites, or projects. Market the heck out of what you are doing and why. You will attract new customers and give your existing customers one more reason to be loyal to you.

Invite your new partner to make a presentation at your place of business for your staff and customers. Host a special reception for customers and prospects with your partner. Offer a discount for anyone who joins the nonprofit. The possibilities to promote and celebrate both sides of your partnership are endless!

The benefits to your business, to the individuals and nonprofits you support, AND to the public can be huge – and deeply rewarding. Lots of “wins.”

Public schools are in crisis today. All across the country, funding is being cut, teachers laid off, and programs eliminated. The education of our future citizens is at stake, no more, no less, and we all suffer when children are only taught how to pass structured tests. It’s in the cultural subjects – like history – where kids learn how to read, analyze, write, AND understand how we got to where we are today. It’s American citizenship-in-training, and it matters!

As schools struggle with funding cuts, however, businesses have an opportunity to step in and help.

Not only will you provide an essential service to young people, you will win the hearts and minds of their parents, teachers, school administrators, and the larger community.

How can you get involved?

Start by contacting your local school department. Don’t assume you know what they need, because you don’t! You want to reach a decision maker – the head of the history department, a school principal, perhaps the school superintendent. Your approach is, “I am concerned about students learning their local history, and I know you have funding challenges. How can I help?”

Here are three suggestions they might have.

• Fund a field trip to your local historical society, museum, or National Park Service site.
Field trips are often the first to go, and those of us who teach history know that kids get turned on to history outside of the classroom much more than they do inside.

• Underwrite a school visit by local reenactors.
Nothing brings history to life like talented, professional actors portraying historical characters who engage in conversation or demonstrate how to fire a musket or cook on a colonial hearth. Kids love it!

•  Sponsor a history contest.
Students could create a project on their favorite historical character, house, site, or event. The project could be a written essay, a video – you name it! The prize could be a history scholarship in your company’s name. Make sure to throw a wonderful party to announce the winner and show off all of the final entries!

Leveraging your contribution

These are just three ideas; your schools will have many more. The key here is leverage – and you will need to do it. Schools don’t have marketing and PR staffs, nor do they think this way. But for very short money on your part, you can leverage your contribution into a very appealing customer attraction and loyalty campaign.

Because your work will involve young people, you will need to seek special permission and work within strict guidelines when it comes to photography. This is for their protection, as you might expect. But work with your local media and the schools. They know the rules.

You will also want to work with any other organizations involved to make sure they are promoting your sponsorship. You, in turn, will do the same for yourself – online, in print publications, whichever methods make sense.   

And please think of this as a long-term investment – as a strategic partnership with your local schools. You could do “something” every year, and build it right into your marketing budget.

Small investment, significant return, AND the knowledge that you are playing a role in teaching history in your community.

Will that boost your reputation as a business that cares about its community and its young people? As a local hero?

You bet it will!

True story.

Several years ago, I served as the executive director of the Ipswich, Massachusetts Historical Society. One of the local banks, The First National Bank of Ipswich, funded the historical society’s annual lecture series for $1,000. Now that might not sound like a lot of money to you as a business person – and it’s not – but to a small  nonprofit it can mean the difference between being able to do a project or not.

With that $1,000, the historical society paid modest stipends to the series speakers and purchased refreshments.

For that same $1,000, the bank received a year’s worth of targeted, quality publicity through the historical society’s newsletter, Web site, and lecture series poster. The bank was thanked at each lecture, and their representative was introduced.

The bank was able to call attention to its role through its own communications vehicles, post information about the lecture series in their branch offices, and secure their reputation as the local bank that cares about local history.

Brilliant! All for $1,000!


ROI – sure, but also have some faith
Businesses always talk about ROI – return on investment – and my experience with this bank gives me the perfect opportunity to push back.

For years, we public relations professionals have been criticized because we could not “prove,” in solid facts and figures, that public relations activities produced customers and sales.

As I tell people in my signature business talk about why and how businesses can support local history, banks understand money! If investing in local history didn’t work, they would not allocate the resources they do.

So I urge all of you involved in banking to take a look at your marketing budget, take a look at the historical organizations in your community, and make an investment.

People really do care about their local history, and they pay attention to the businesses that support it. You can easily become a local hero by backing a preservation project or serving as the exclusive sponsor for the kind of lecture series I described above.

As for ROI, I recently attended the annual meeting of The First National Bank of Ipswich. Tasked with shifting the focus of their business back to their target market, the North Shore of Boston, the bank president was able to show two pie charts demonstrating that dramatic, positive change had taken place.

“How did we do this?” he asked. In the next slide, he listed some of their recent community outreach initiatives, most of which were tied to the local history of the communities they serve. So there’s your ROI!

But pie charts aside, sometimes with PR and community outreach you need to have faith that it works – when it’s done well. “Faith” and “banking” don’t often go together hand-in-hand, but just try it!


Also, it matters
Another “warm and fuzzy?” Local history is important. What you will be supporting matters, and it’s lasting. You will boost your reputation in your community, and leave behind a legacy.

I’m not going to name any names, but every year in my historic, seaside community an event takes place to celebrate our town’s maritime heritage. I’ve attended the last seven or eight.

As an event planner myself, and a public relations/community outreach/marketing professional, I pay attention to how events are managed and who is supporting them financially – especially those with a historical theme, which is my business. What I have noticed with this particular event is that year after year the same small group of people dutifully writes checks because they are “supposed to.” Maybe the donor’s logo appears somewhere, maybe it doesn’t. And that’s it. The donors really are taken for granted because they are “family,” and the business goals behind the check writing are simply not considered.

In my mind, this is just not good enough any more and the check writers should push back and ask, “What, exactly, am I getting for my donation?” Being “nice” and/or philanthropic is lovely and appreciated. But what about BUSINESS?

What you can do
Unfortunately, most of the nonprofits running these kinds of events don’t “get” that contributions from businesses are, ultimately, supposed to benefit the business. It’s not how they think. Adding a logo to a poster or a program is fine, but it’s only a start. Instead, the nonprofit event planners need to ask the donor, “How can we make this work for YOU to make sure you achieve your business goals?”

And if businesses are not being asked this question, they should either ask it themselves or, frankly, take their money elsewhere.

Tough talk, I know. But I think businesses need to ask more questions, stop being taken for granted, and determine their return on investment.

The next time you are asked to support a historical community event, here are some ways you can leverage your donation.

• Ask about the marketing/promotion plan for the event, and find out where you can be included.
You will be told that your logo and/or your business name “will be included in all promotional materials.” Okay, but where, exactly? Ask if you can provide a quote for the news release about why you are proud to support the event, and a word about what you do. Provide a one-sentence descriptor to accompany your logo and business name wherever it appears (you also want this information to appear in the organization’s newsletter, on their Web site, etc.). Insist on a link to your Web site in social media messages, email blasts, and from their Web site. If there is a printed program for the event, make sure you are in it. Perhaps, in the program, you want to make a special offer for event attendees. (Note: You will be told that there isn’t enough space to do what you ask in a publication, or enough time to add links for “everyone,” or the organization has “never done it that way before.” As someone who has provided services to the nonprofit sector for 20 years, I’ve heard it all. Push back!)

• Have a presence at the event.
Staff a table where you can distribute information, answer questions, or make a special offer. Be creative! Have members of your team circulate among the crowd in matching t-shirts. They can hand out material, engage people in conversation, and help put a friendly “face” on your business.

• Ask to speak from the stage.
At some point during the event, someone will offer remarks, and you should be allowed to make a 60 second (at least) statement about how proud you are to support the event, what you do, where people can find your information table, and what you are offering to people that day. It is unacceptable for the event MC to simply read a list of donors or, worse yet, to thank “all of the donors” and direct people to the program to find out who they are. (This actually happened at the event I described above.)

• Promote the event through your own channels.
Nonprofits only have so much reach, staff, and ability, and you can boost their efforts by doing your own promotion. You will want to coordinate with the presenting organization to make sure the language describing the event is consistent, but beyond that you will really look like a hero to your customers and your community (potential customers) by publicly promoting the event. Naturally, you will call attention to the event AND your business, especially if you can make a thematic connection between your business, the historical event, and your community.

Insist on “more”
The reason you write a check to support a community event is, ultimately, to benefit your business. And the reason you want to go beyond writing a check is because these events provide a non-direct sales environment where you can connect with people. Your message, in all of the ways your participation is recognized should be, “We are proud to support this important historical event that our community cares so much about. We have a shared interest.”

Your money is too valuable to squander an opportunity to attract customers, boost customer loyalty, and secure your reputation as someone who cares about local history.

The next time a nonprofit wants your check to support a historical event, insist on “more!”

I recently gave a talk before a local Rotary Club chapter about how businesses can support history in ways that will benefit them. I cited such examples as historic preservation projects, historical community events, and after school projects.

One of the audience members, who happens to own a cultural tour company, raised the subject of Americans’ dearth of knowledge about American history. She quoted David McCullough, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author, who speaks eloquently,regularly, and passionately on the sorry state of history education in our schools. “What is the answer?” my friend asked.

It seems to me that until we can completely overhaul how education is taught in our public schools, as McCullough recommends – essentially, a national referendum -- the answer IS David McCullough and others like him. How many people have learned about episodes in American history because of his engagingly written books, his talks, and episodes of the PBS series American Experience? Millions!

And his work is just one example.

 

The public history solution

In colleges and universities across the country, Public History Institutes are springing up to train people to “do” public history – meaning, to teach history outside of the classroom in places like National Park Service sites, museums, historic houses,and for tour companies. These programs will expand and professionalize the good work that is already taking place.

And more people need to take more advantage of these sorts of offerings! Whatever kind of history education is or is not going on inside American classrooms, we can all use some supplemental education by visiting historic sites and hearing the stories.

In the case of my friend in the Rotary audience, SHE is the answer, in my opinion, along with David McCullough, if she is enabled to “do her thing.”

My friend used to lead a walking tour of historic sites for her town’s elementary school at no charge.For two hours, this knowledgeable, engaging woman entertained fifth-graders with their town history. Recently, the school seems unable to bother. (And please don’t tell me about funding challenges; there is always a way when there is the will.)

What a waste for all of those kids! Her tour should be a rite of passage!

 

How YOU can be part of the solution

My story is a perfect example of a business opportunity.

A local business could easily and at very low cost sponsor my friend’s walking tour -- pay for her time, for handouts, ball caps with your logo, whatever -- and “win big” in the minds of every parent directly or indirectly involved by providing this opportunity for their children to learn local history.

Kids connect with history when they are out of the classroom -- when it’s made fun and relevant by talented public history educators. In these situations, kids make an emotional connection that just doesn’t come from a book. Trust me on this!

Imagine dozens of fifth graders, brimming with enthusiasm, rushing home to tell their parents about their walking tour and what they learned – thanks to you. Imagine the media coverage! Imagine your internal PR! Your outreach to customers!

This is just one example,but you get the point. The tour guide has a role to play here, and so does the school – but so does your business!

In this way, BUSINESSES are the answer too.

Think about it!

Just last week, I was speaking with a neighbor of mine – an avidlover of history and the owner of an important historic house – abouthow often we hear the words “history is boring” from young people.

History is NOT boring. How it’s TAUGHT is what’s usually boring!

It pains me every time I hear those words. It also pains me when I hearthe words, “I really wish I had had a good history teacher” from adultfriends of mine (or from people who come to my history talks or take my
walking tours). “I might have been interested in history a lot sooner,”they say.

No kidding! And this is so infuriating. What a waste.

Now I am not here to beat up on history teachers. There are gifted onesout there, some of whom I know personally, and many of them have theirhands tied “teaching to the test.”

Still, something must be done because the state of history education inAmerica today is appalling.

History inside of the classroom
In his speech before the National Book Foundation upon receiving theDistinguished Contribution to American Letters Award, the PulitzerPrize-winning author David McCullough – a personal hero of mine –stated:

“We, in our time, are raising a new generation of Americans who, to analarming degree, are historically illiterate. The situation is seriousand sad. And it is quite real, let there be no mistake. It has beencoming on for a long time, like a creeping disease, eating away at thenational memory. While the clamorous popular culture races on, theAmerican past is slipping away, out of site and out of mind. We arelosing our story, forgetting who we are and what it's taken to come thisfar.”

He went on to say:

“Too many teachers have little if any real understanding of what they'reteaching, let alone that vitality and passion for the subject thatmakes a great teacher so effective. If you think back to your own timein school, the courses you liked best and did best in were almostcertainly the courses taught by the teachers you liked best. And theteachers you liked best were almost certainly those who were excitedabout the material and conveyed that excitement to you.”

And so, what are we to do?

History outside of the classroom
David McCullough is 100% right that better teacher training isessential, but I also want to look OUTSIDE of the classroom because sooften THAT’S where people connect. Today, we call this “public history,”and here are just five examples of things you can do to SUPPLEMENT yourchild’s classroom education -- and your own.

• Visit historic sites that “do history” well
Think about the Minuteman National Historical Park in Concord, MA at theNorth Bridge. Every day, there are reenactors, tours, story tellers,musket demonstrations – you name it! Boring? Hardly!

• Find historical theatrical performances
In Salem, MA, the Department of Theatre at Gordon College presents atheatrical performance at Salem in 1630: Pioneer Village, a replicacolonial village along the lines of the more famous Plimoth Plantation.Visitors are entranced by these beautifully costumed actors acting outdomestic scenes, playing children’s games, and putting a villager in“the stocks.”

• Seek out the story tellers
As the historian Barbara Tuchman says, if you want to get kidsinterested in history, “tell stories.” You can often find these peopleat public libraries or historical societies. Perhaps an elder in yourcommunity is giving a talk on growing up in your town.

• Go on walking tours
Find a passionate walking tour guide and let the fun begin! History is“real” when you’re on the ground and out of the books.

• Visit historical museums that know how to engage visitors
Dragging your child through a “boring” museum will not help matters.Instead, find the places that do this well. The Salem Witch Museum, forexample, is the most visited museum in Salem and constantly ranks at thetop in the state and the region. Why? Because they tell the story in anengaging – yet responsible – way.

• Attend demonstrations and reenactments
Historic houses and museums will often present demonstrations of earlytrades and skills, weaponry, or hearth cooking. Military encampments arealso great fun, and with the anniversary of the Civil War in full swingthey shouldn’t be hard to find.

Opportunities for business
And for you business owners out there, “out of the classroom”experiences like these provide you with the opportunity to be a localhero and attract customers. Seek out the talented public historyteachers and projects and find ways to support them, work with them, orpromote them. You will be promoting yourself at the same time -- in anon-sales environment and through good works.

Why is it important to engage your kids – and yourself – in history? Toquote David McCullough again:

“Indifference to history isn't just ignorant, it's rude. It's a form ofingratitude. I'm convinced that history encourages, as nothing elsedoes, a sense of proportion about life, gives us a sense of the relativescale of our own brief time on earth and how valuable that is.

What history teaches it teaches mainly by example. It inspires courageand tolerance. It encourages a sense of humor. It is an aid tonavigation in perilous times. We are living now in an era of momentouschange, of huge transitions in all aspects of life-here, nationwide,worldwide-and this creates great pressures and tensions. But history
shows that times of change are the times when we are most likely tolearn. This nation was founded on change. We should embrace thepossibilities in these exciting times and hold to a steady course,because we have a sense of navigation, a sense of what we've beenthrough in times past and who we are.”

Amen, David McCullough!

What about you?
And so, what are your plans for this weekend? What history projects canyour business support? They are out there!