Connections

Making our nation's history more accessible

As you read this, construction on Philadelphia's National Constitution Center continues steadily in preparation for its grand opening this summer on July 4.

Located across from the WHYY Technology Center on Independence Mall, the National Constitution Center (NCC) is the first-ever museum dedicated to educating Americans about the history and continuing relevance of the United States Constitution.

Through a variety of interactive exhibits and programs, thousands of visitors to the state-of-the-art facility will learn more about this revolutionary document and leave with a better understanding of the enormous importance it has in our daily lives.

This month, I am pleased to update you about an exciting new WHYY multimedia project that will leverage all of our 21st-century resources to extend the impact of the NCC's educational outreach efforts far beyond the museum's walls.

President Ford with Cokie Roberts In partnership with the NCC, we are currently producing a series of one-hour television and radio conversations with four former U.S. Presidents -- Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton -- to be distributed nationally for broadcast on public television and radio stations across the country this fall.

Conducted by award-winning journalist Cokie Roberts, these unprecedented interviews will examine the pivotal, and very personal, relationship between the president and the Constitution and address how this 216-year-old document influenced the decisions each made while in the executive office.

The series will also demonstrate how one document can stand the test of time and reinterpretation by leaders who are bound by its requirements, but facing vastly different challenges, and explore the implications this has for us as a nation today, and in the future.

One of the things that distinguishes WHYY as more than just a good TV or radio channel choice is our ability to repurpose on-air content in ways that helps us to create unique lifelong learning opportunities off-air. We are using the national TV and radio broadcasts of this new series as the basis for an extensive educational initiative that will further enhance people's understanding of how the Constitution shapes our political landscape and profoundly affects the lives of all Americans.

A centerpiece of this community outreach will be an interactive DVD version of the series, produced in conjunction with the NCC, which will be distributed to schools, libraries and other educational institutions throughout our region and across the country. As we did with such original WHYY productions as Thomas Eakins: Scenes From Modern Life and Latina Salud, we will develop a comprehensive companion Web site to the Presidential Conversations series at www.whyy.org, with additional audio and video clips and various resource materials that educators can use in their classrooms along with the on-air broadcasts or as a stand-alone source of information.

Both the DVD and the Web site will allow us to showcase rich archival material from the NCC that cannot be included in the series, bringing a virtual museum experience to those unable to travel to Philadelphia and providing an invaluable tool for teachers and students. We will also work with the NCC to create content that can be integrated into the museum's permanent exhibits, ensuring that people have a chance to learn about our country's history for generations to come.

Unlike our Founding Fathers, whose main form of communication was pen and paper, we now have many ways to share knowledge with our diverse audiences across multiple platforms. We remain committed, with the generous support of you, our Members and our community partners, to making the best use of our resources to help enrich the lives of citizens throughout this great region and beyond.

Best regards,
William J. Marrazzo
President and Chief Executive Officer