News

May 05, 2023

Learn about Nebraska’s rural school past at upcoming event

WHAT: Brown Bag Lecture Series HOSTED BY: UNK Department of History TITLE:

WHAT: Brown Bag Lecture Series

HOSTED BY: UNK Department of History

TITLE: "Extinct Education: Nebraska's Rural School Past"

TOPIC: In 1917, Nebraska had 7,000 one-room schoolhouses. By 1984, the number of school districts offering only elementary education was down to 666. Several more recent rounds of consolidation have further reduced that number. Drawing upon materials from the Country School Legacy project and other materials available in the UNK Archives, associate professor Laurinda Weisse will highlight rural education in Nebraska before 1980 during this presentation. From snakes to floods that cut off a school, rural education posed singular challenges but studying it also opens a unique window into life in these communities.

PRESENTER: Laurinda Weisse is the university archivist, digital repository manager and an associate professor at UNK. Her research is varied and includes co-founding Coming to the Plains, a multimedia project that shares the stories of Latin American immigrants living in central Nebraska, and examining 1890s Omaha through the lens of a shooting. She also collaborates with community groups to preserve and promote local history.

TIME: Noon

DATE: Wednesday, June 14

PLACE: Kearney Public Library, 2020 First Ave.

CONTACT: Nathan Tye, assistant history professor, 308.865.8860, [email protected]