Making Connections: Incorporating College Archival Materials into a Women\u27s History First Year Seminar

In this presentation we will discuss our First Year Seminar course that makes extensive use of materials from the Wilson College Archives to explore common FYS themes in historical and cultural context. In this course we incorporate personal letters, meeting minutes, and other college records, to study movements such as women entering the workforce, civil rights, women\u27s rights, wartime, and the progressive era, and we compare the lives of today\u27s students to alumnae from different eras. We have found that by integrating our alumnae and history into the study of major themes and events, the subject material becomes more meaningful, and we maintain an intentional focus on women\u27s issues. We ask, What will we say about you a hundred years from now? The student comes to realize they will be remembered and what they do matters. They are now part of a community with an incredibly rich history. Future plans for the course include expanding the use of digital exhibits, webpages, and blogs, and incorporating the use of multimedia presentations into the curriculum with the goal of improving communication and technology skills