When: Thursday, January 29, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM EST
Where: In-person in our Archives and Research building or online via ZOOM.
This is a free event, though donations are greatly appreciated to support our mission and to continue to bring you educational programming.
Hands-on History: How the WWPL Education Collection Connects with the Past.
The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library brings history to life with interactive programs packed full of primary sources, letters, diaries, and even three-dimensional artifacts you can actually hold! While most museums ask you to “look but don’t touch,” our Education Collection flips the script, inviting you to get hands-on with original pieces from the eras we explore.
Join Emily Kilgore, Director of Education and Engagement at the WWPL, as we dig into how artifacts help us tell richer, more exciting stories, from everyday life in the 1850s to the gritty reality of World War I soldiers. With authentic items from our education collection, you’ll discover how tactile, up-close learning transforms history programs both in the museum and in the classroom.
Emily Kilgore has served as Director of Education and Engagement at the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum since 2018, and has a passion for museum education. She received her B.A. from Longwood University in Public History, completed her M.A. in history at Old Dominion University, and her Certificate in Museum Management from the Virginia Association of Museums. In addition to her work with the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum, Emily is also an adjunct professor in museum studies at Brightpoint Community College in Virginia, and serves on the Virginia Association of Museums Council as a Director-At-Large. Emily also works in partnership with the Library of Congress as part of their “Teaching with Primary Sources” programs, and is also a certified “TPS Coach” to assist teachers and general visitors with accessing more primary sources at the Library of Congress and connecting them to the WWPL collection.
