Vernon Student, Teacher Taking A Journey Back In U.S. History

VERNON, CT — Two members of the Vernon education community are about to go back in time.

A Rockville High School sophomore and a Vernon Center Middle School talented and
gifted teacher are headed to Philadelphia this summer to participate in an all-expense paid, week-long seminar on the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the events leading up to the American Revolution, school officials said.

To prepare for the second Young People's Continental Congress, RHS student Dominik Rose and VCMS teacher Regina Lee will spend the months attending online seminars and
lectures and completing a variety of assignments on a range of revolutionary era topics.

"We are immersing ourselves in a multi-perspective analysis of how the Revolution and our nation’s values came about, and how we won the Revolutionary War," Lee said. "And then we spend a week in Philadelphia interacting with the real documents, visiting historic sites, meeting with experts and learning about the different perspectives of the framers."

The seminars Lee and the 15-year-old Rose will study ahead of the event in Philadelphia have been developed by college professors from institutions like the University of Virginia and DePauw University.

Once they arrive in Philadelphia, they’ll learn from professors from Villanova University, Yale University, Ursinus College and other institutions. They will explore historic landmarks like Independence Hall and Carpenters' Hall, continue to learn about the Revolutionary period and participate in workshops organized by the Museum of the American Revolution, the National Constitutional Center and others.

Delegates to the Young People's Continental Congress will also co-create and sign a joint declaration of their aspirations for American democracy, just as their historical counterparts issued the Declaration of Colonial Rights and the Declaration of Independence.

"We are honored and proud that Dominik and Mrs. Lee were selected to represent Vernon and the state of Connecticut at this prestigious program," Vernon Superintendent of Schools Joseph Macary said. "This is a tremendous opportunity for an immersive history experience. You can’t know where you’re going unless you know where you've been."

The event is organized by National History Day and Carpenters' Hall, where the First Continental Congress met in secret in 1774 and called for the training of a colonial militia, a coordinated boycott of British goods, adopted the Declaration of Rights and Grievances and ultimately demonstrated to the British the colonists resolve to work together to address their grievances against England.

Rose said the opportunity to attend the program is something he could not pass up, and that he is looking forward to digging into the nitty gritty about what motivated America’s founders.

"I'm curious about the lesser-known events that led to the creation of the Declaration of Independence, such as the Declaratory Act of 1766 and the colonists' importation and exportation bans that helped lead to the Revolution," he said.

Rose said he is also looking forward to hearing from experts about the Revolutionary War era, visiting historic sites, viewing original sources of information and taking in the culture of Philadelphia.

His dad, Dan Westwood, said he is excited about the opportunity his son earned and what he will
learn and experience in Philadelphia. Lee said she asked Rose to apply for the program because he is remarkably bright and she knew he would take the program and preparation extremely seriously.

For their work, Lee will earn a graduate credit and Rose will earn a Rockville High School independent study credit.