05/22/2026
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After months of thought and preparation, I finally submitted my proposal to the Frederick County School Board to incorporate a dedicated local history component into the current curriculum. It’s a cause deeply important to me, because the fields, streets, buildings, and stories surrounding our students every day are living classrooms that deserve to be understood and remembered.
My hope is simple: to help ignite a stronger connection between young people and the history of Wi******er and Frederick County, so they can better appreciate the sacrifices, struggles, and achievements that shaped the community they call home. And if this idea can truly take root in our county and city schools, then perhaps it can grow beyond our region—into the Virginia state legislature, and maybe even become a model for schools across the nation.
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PROPOSAL FOR LOCAL HISTORY EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP
Presented by Mike Robinson – Wi******er Tales
This proposal is respectfully submitted to the Frederick County School Board to offer a community partnership focused on bringing local history education directly into Frederick County Virginia high schools.
The purpose of this program is to help students better understand the history that surrounds them every day — the roads they travel, the fields they pass, the buildings downtown, the neighborhoods they live in, and the people who helped shape both this community and our nation.
Through engaging presentations, storytelling, historical photographs, artifacts, and discussion, students would gain a deeper understanding of the important role Wi******er and Frederick County have played throughout American history, while also recognizing the sacrifices made by those who came before us to preserve the freedoms and way of life we enjoy today.
Proposed Educational Program
Mike Robinson would volunteer his time to visit each participating high school once per semester (or more), with presentations geared primarily toward 9th or 10th grade students.
Program Highlights
-One local history presentation per semester at each participating high school.
-Age-appropriate and engaging discussions focused on local history.
-Historical storytelling centered around places students see every day.
-Use of historical photographs, maps, and artifacts.
-Interactive question-and-answer opportunities with students
-Encouragement of historical curiosity, preservation, and civic pride.
Educational Goals
The goal of this program is to:
-Help students connect local history to broader American history.
-Encourage critical thinking and historical awareness.
-Teach students about the sacrifices made by earlier generations.
-Inspire respect for preservation, heritage, and community identity
-Ignite curiosity and interest in history among young people.
-Encourage students to pursue history, education, preservation, and research.
-Help ensure that local stories and traditions are not lost to future generations.
History becomes far more meaningful when students realize major events happened where they live. A battlefield becomes more than an open field. A historic building becomes more than brick and mortar. Young people begin to understand that history is not distant — it is part of their everyday world.
Most importantly, students are the bridge that keeps history alive. If these stories are not passed forward to younger generations, they risk being forgotten.
About Mike Robinson
Mike Robinson is a local historian, author, speaker, and community educator best known for creating the Wi******er Tales local history platform.
Background & Community Contributions
-Author of 13 local history books
/Creator of the Wi******er Tales Facebook public history platform
-Founder of the annual Wi******er Tales History Scholarship presented at James Wood High School
-Recipient of the:
Stewart Bell Jr. Literary Award
Ben Belchic Award
-Donor of numerous historical artifacts to local archives and museums, including:
Stewart Bell Jr. Archives
Shenandoah Valley Civil War Museum
-Frequent speaker and presenter on local and regional history throughout the community
Mike Robinson’s work has focused on making local history approachable, relatable, and meaningful for everyday people — especially younger generations.
Cost & Community Commitment
This educational partnership would be offered free of charge to participating schools.
Should any honorarium or speaking fee ever be offered, those funds would be redirected back into the Wi******er Tales History Scholarship to continue supporting local students interested in history and education.
Closing Statement
History is one of the few subjects that teaches students not only where we came from, but why our communities, freedoms, and traditions exist today.
By helping young people connect with the history around them early in life, we help build informed citizens who value preservation, sacrifice, service, and community identity.
The hope of this program is not simply to teach names and dates, but to ignite curiosity — the kind that encourages students to ask questions, explore their community, and carry these stories forward for future generations.
Because in the end, our young people truly are the trustees of our posterity.
Thank you for your consideration,
Mike Robinson
