The Gift of History Program Features an Interactive, Virtual Field Trip on April 24
On April 24, 2025, all Orange County third graders are invited to participate in a virtual field trip to take an interactive journey through Orange County’s history. 450 students will attend the live assembly at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum while it is streamed live to classrooms across the county.
The annual OC Day of History is presented by the Richard Nixon Foundation in partnership with the Children’s Education Foundation of Orange County and the Gift of History program, an award winning multi-agency, countywide history program that creates civic pride, builds 21st-century skills, and promotes community engagement among third grade students. This initiative has been widely recognized for its positive impact, earning the Golden Bell Award in 2016 from the California School Boards Association for its contribution to community engagement in education.
This event gives students an opportunity to learn about key historical moments, people, and natural resources that helped shape Orange County. Special guest speakers, including Orange County Supervisor Donald P. Wagner, will discuss the importance of learning about local history. To mark the occasion, Supervisor Wagner will present a resolution from the Board of Supervisors to recognize April 24 as Orange County Local History Day. Supervisor Wagner said, “The OC Day of History is a wonderful opportunity for our young learners to engage with the rich past of Orange County. I am proud to support this initiative, which not only fosters civic pride but also equips our future leaders with the knowledge and skills they need to shape the future of our county.”
During the livestream event on April 24, students will also watch specially-prepared video messages from guest speakers including Dr. Stefan Bean, Superintendent of the Orange County Department of Education, Freddie Freeman, First Baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cheryl Van Doren, daughter of Vans co-founder Paul Van Doren.
The Gift of History program provides resources for educators in addition to the virtual field trip including copies of Nothing Rhymes with Orange, the fun and engaging chapter book written by Orange County historian, Stan Oftelie, a curriculum guide, developed by the Orange County Department of Education and access to the “OC Passport,” a scavenger hunt designed to take students on a self-guided adventure through Orange County’s history.
For press credentials, please contact Carrie Anderson at [email protected].
About the Richard Nixon Foundation
The Richard Nixon Foundation applies the legacy and vision of President Richard Nixon to defining issues that face our nation and the world today. The Yorba Linda-based Foundation actively encourages and supports scholarship, sponsors in-person and online programs that engage the public with American civics, creates and promotes educational programs and exhibits rooted in American history, and fosters discussion and debate about America’s thirty-seventh president.
The Richard Nixon Foundation owns the nine-acre campus on which the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum sits. The Yorba Linda campus includes the home in which President Nixon was born in 1913, and the flower-ringed Memorial Site of President and Mrs. Nixon. The Richard Nixon Foundation jointly co-operates the presidential library site with the National Archives and Records Administration.
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