2024 News

This past weekend, 21 hand-selected young men from Philadelphia high schools, along with mentors and chaperones from La Salle University, arrived at Gettysburg National Military Park to participate in a “Run Free” event with The Ahmaud Arbery Foundation. This program was supported by the Gettysburg Foundation thanks to the generous contributions from the Eugene M. Lang Foundation and Shell USA, Inc.

Upon their arrival, Dr. Timothy Jones, Executive Director of The Ahmaud Arbery Foundation, prepared the students for the experiential journey on which they would embark. Students were broken into groups to cycle through three experiential learning modules throughout the weekend. The first was a “Manhood Walk” that took students across part of the Gettysburg battlefield. This walk highlighted the character of Black leaders from the American past and engaged students on how they can use those examples to develop their own character and model those attributes for the world around them. Students also had an opportunity to explore social justice in a powerful, collaborative indoor lab experience. The lab gave them space to craft creative and direct solutions to specific challenges while becoming an advocate for change through the power of social emotional learning. The third module provided students with a virtual reality experience that challenged them to find focus, which elevated the imperative opportunities of positive leadership.

The group travelled to the nearby historic George Spangler Farm & Field Hospital and participated in a fence-building team exercise that highlighted the power of communication, collaboration and leadership. The winning team was rewarded by eating dinner last, as the true leaders they are. They were also tasked with an assignment for the following day in which they had to talk with the rest of the group about the idea of personal “High Ground.” The next day, each student shared with the rest of the group what the experience meant to them. Saturday closed with the group enjoying a bonfire and s’mores at the historic site.

The next day, students participated in their final module before paying a visit to the Abraham Brian Farm at Gettysburg National Military Park. There, they learned the story of Abraham Brian and the repulse of the last Confederate attack at Gettysburg, along with how this history affects us today.

Upon returning to the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center, the keynote event of the weekend was a visit from Ahmaud’s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, founder of The Ahmaud Arbery Foundation, established in 2020. The group viewed two short films honoring the legacy of Ahmaud Arbery. At the conclusion, students received their “Run Free” promise certificates and had their photo taken with Jones. All staff and students then closed the program together, hand in hand, by individually sharing what running free meant to them.

Gettysburg Foundation’s Higher Ground Leadership at Gettysburg Director Britt Isenberg had this to say about the time spent with the students last weekend, “A more powerful, impactful, engaging and inspirational event could not have occurred anywhere else this weekend than what we just witnessed on the hallowed ground here at Gettysburg. Young people are the hope of a better tomorrow, and by using history as a lens to look forward, the students with whom we had the privilege of interacting this weekend are surely going to be the agents of that outcome thanks to the living legacy of Ahmaud Arbery.”