EO student to participate in Continental Congress

An East Orange student and teacher have been selected to participate in the first-ever Young People’s Continental Congress.

The non-profit organization, National History Day, has collaborated with Carpenters’ Hall, the home of the nation’s First Continental Congress in 1774, to produce a program for high school students from around the country, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the First Continental Congress.

In July, 14 teams of two composed of high school students and teachers from each of the original 13 colonies, plus one team from Philadelphia, will convene to explore our nation’s founding principles in their historical context and how they continue to impact our democracy. The program will expand in 2025 to include students and teachers from all 56 U.S. states and jurisdictions.

Teacher Tracey Prince and student Rouslene Folas from the East Orange STEM Academy High School were selected to represent New Jersey.

Prince was recommended to the national organization by the New Jersey National History Day coordinator. She accepted the invitation to participate and selected Folas to accompany her, according to the director of communications at National History Day.

This year’s delegates represent both rural and urban areas and reflect the nation’s diversity in race, gender, and economic status. Students and teachers currently meet virtually through monthly modules where they examine the ideals of the American Revolution through case studies to see how these ideals were applied or evolved over the course of U.S. history.

The student/teacher teams will then descend on Philadelphia from July 15-20 for a week of special programming with daily plenary sessions at Carpenters’ Hall and onsite field learning opportunities at sites such as the National Constitution Center, the Museum of the American Revolution, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

“National History Day is proud to be the lead programming partner of the Young People’s Continental Congress,” said NHD Executive Director Dr. Cathy Gorn. “YPCC is a unique opportunity for students and teachers to explore the history of the principles and ideas that founded this nation in Philadelphia, the place where it happened. This is the perfect program to introduce in NHD’s 50th anniversary year, as we near the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.”

National History Day is a non-profit organization based in College Park, Maryland, that seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history.

A National Historic Landmark, Carpenters’ Hall was built in the early 1770s and hosted the First Continental Congress, one of the most significant events in the founding of our nation, in 1774. The Hall is located in Independence National Historical Park, though the building is privately owned and maintained by the nonprofit Carpenters’ Company. Founded in 1724, The Carpenters’ Company is the nation’s oldest continuously operating trade guild.

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