 Books and Discussion
Strengthen Communities
Participants in our programs have the chance for direct
interaction with humanities scholars; scholars meet new audiences outside the classroom.
Our Participants
Our programs provide a place for adults to come together and discuss
issues and ideas. This is especially important because in many
of the communities we serve, adults have few options for programming
or involvement in local events.
“Based on dozens of library visits,
I can attest from first-hand knowledge that the program serves
a wide variety of communities, some of which do not have comparable
opportunities that are open to the public. There is a tremendous
variation in the ages, interests, and educational levels of
the people who attend."
– a program scholar |
Many Delmarva Discussions participants are senior
citizens who may not have many other opportunities to participate
in community activities. Some participants are teachers who can
use their participation as part of their accreditation requirements
and who bring insights they have gained back to their classrooms.
In addition, one of our goals is to continue seeking out new populations,
including younger participants, such as college, high school and
middle school students.
Our
Scholars
The scholars who lead our discussions come from virtually
every college and university on the Delmarva Peninsula and include
retired as well as active teachers, writers, and experts. Many of
our scholars have been affiliated with our program for years.
Over one hundred and fifty scholars and experts
are currently affiliated with our program. They serve as consultants
on program development, staff our programs, and are generally available
to answer questions and provide expertise as needed. Scholars are
enthusiastic about our programs and are always willing to help the
Project Director as needed; many of them have been affiliated with
Delmarva Discussions for years.
Bethany Hacker, Project Director
Bethany Hacker is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Delmarva
Discussions, for developing new series, and applying for grants.
After beginning her career as a high school social studies teacher,
Ms. Hacker moved into the program development and public relations
arena. She has developed several successful welfare-to-work programs
for community colleges and housing authorities as well as educational
programs for museums. Her past work in marketing includes web site
design, publications production, copywriting, and graphic design.
In 1995 she started her own company, PRWorks, to assist museums
and other non-profits to develop relevant programming, apply for
grants, and market their organizations.
Ms. Hacker has a B.S. in Education and a B.A. in Speech Communications
from the University of Missouri - Columbia. She has led seminars
and workshops on program development and web site marketing, and
she continues to act as a consultant for a dozen museums, associations,
and tourism-related non-profits and small businesses. She is also
an AVID reader!
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