Serving State Teachers

This US presidential election year, 20 Mississippi high school teachers of social studies and government visited campus for a refresher on national conventions and the general election.

“The second Barbour Center Teacher Conference was designed to advance part of the Center’s mission by sharing with the public detailed information about how campaigns really operate,” said John Bruce, chair of political science and event cohost.

With the help of Governor Barbour, teachers were exposed to two days of speakers from across the range of campaign-related work. They heard about everything from fundraising to opposition research, from the party nomination process to messaging.”

The teachers also took part in a brainstorming exercise led by Jonathan Klingler, associate professor of political science, illustrating ways to incorporate the material into class activities.

“By sharing this information with teachers from around the state, we help them refine and enrich how this important material gets covered in their classes,” Bruce said. “The university is always seeking ways to reach more effectively into the community. The Barbour Center Teacher Conference is a very effective way for us to share a deeper understanding of how campaigns work with the individuals teaching Mississippi’s children.”

The conference was supported by the Walton Family Foundation. “Attracting external dollars to help the university provide outreach is a great way for us to extend the reach of the programming we offer.”