Community/Miscellaneous Programs

libraries, parades, conventions, & more

School Programs

from kindergarten through university

Church Programs

for churches & other Christian organizations

"Running Abe"

"Fastest Abe in the West"

 Note: Mr. Lincoln is now also offering "Virtual Visits"!

I count it a great privilege to bring President Abraham Lincoln to "life" for students of all ages.

A visit from Mr. Lincoln will teach students about the history of our nation from our establishment in 1776 through the end of the Civil War in 1865.  This was a remarkable time of new ideas, tremendous change, and exciting growth in our young country.  Yet at the same time, this period was also marked by great conflict and an uncertainty about our future as a people and a nation.

Mr. Lincoln can tailor his presentation to meet your particular needs and wishes, but generally covers a variety of topics under the following major themes:

• the development of our nation from the original 13 colonies on the eastern seaboard to a transcontinental nation of 36 states;

• the distinctive characteristics of our nation: liberty, equality, democracy, and opportunity;

• the Civil War, States' rights and slavery;

• Mr. Lincoln's own inspirational personal story.

Mr. Lincoln is available to speak in either assembly or classroom settings.  All presentations are in first-person (in character) and are age-appropriate as described below.  Mr. Lincoln involves the students during his presentation and has a question-and-answer time at the end.

Presentations are available either in English or Spanish.  In addition, limited presentations (mixed with English) are available in French and German.  That's right, after all these years Mr. Lincoln is now multi-lingual!

Suggested occasions for a visit include:

• Special assemblies for the whole school or a particular age group.

• History and social studies classes, especially when the topic of study is the American Civil War or the development of the United States from Independence to 1865.

• Civil War "Fairs" or "Days"

• National holidays such as Veterans Day (November), Thanksgiving Day (November), Presidents' Day (February), or Memorial Day (May)

• International days promoted by the United Nations such as the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition (August 23) or the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery (December 2).

Lower Elementary School Students (1st-3rd Grades)

recommended length: 40-45 minutes (but can go shorter or longer if desired)

Mr. Lincoln talks to the students about growing up on the frontier, his family, his lack of formal education, his love of reading and his great desire to learn, the different kinds of jobs he had, what our country was like back then, how he got the nickname "Honest Abe", why he grew a beard, what he keeps inside his hat, his love of animals, what it was like to be President, his boys’ experiences living in the White House, how the holiday of Thanksgiving came about, etc.  He uses simple language and illustrations to explain the basics about why our country was divided and how it came to be united again.  [Mr. Lincoln can also talk to kindergarten students, but recommends against including them in an assembly with older students; instead, a brief classroom visit tends to work better.] 

Upper Elementary School Students (4th-5th/6th Grades)

recommended length: 45-60 minutes (but can go shorter or longer if desired)

Mr. Lincoln talks about the same things as with the Lower Elementary School students, but in greater depth, especially in regard to the history of our country.  Using the Gettysburg Address, he talks about our past, present, and future.

Middle School/Junior High, High School, and College/University Students

recommended length: 60 minutes (but can go shorter or longer if desired)

The emphasis here is more on history than on Mr. Lincoln's personal life. A significant portion of Mr. Lincoln's words to the students will come directly from his own writings and speeches, for example his "House Divided" speech, the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, his farewell address at Springfield, his First and Second Inaugural addresses, his Gettysburg Address, the Emancipation Proclamation, and his proclamations for days of prayer and thanksgiving.

• For one program of up to one hour in length: $250 ($350 on Lincoln's Birthday and Presidents' Day).

• For each additional program/hour: $100 per program/hour.

• Travel expenses: calculated from Adrian, MI (southeastern corner of Michigan).

• Discounts are available for visits to multiple schools in the same district/area on the same day.

• Reduced fees are available to schools or organizations with limited financial resources.

• For virtual programs, the fees are the same for live programs (but no travel fees!), while pre-recorded videos are only $150.

• Payable by check to "Kevin J. Wood", by cash, or by PayPal (if linked to a bank account and not a credit card).

• Payment expected on date of program or within two weeks afterwards.