The conference will take place at the Red Lion Columbia Center in Kennewick. A discounted rate for the evenings of September 29 and 30 is guaranteed to conference attendees who book prior to September 8, 2022, using this link:
Book now!
1101 N Columbia Center Blvd
Kennewick, WA 99336
855-516-1090
Hotel amenities include: a fitness center, a seasonal outdoor pool, a 24-hour business center, an ATM, hotel restaurant Nomad Kitchen and Lounge, and buffet breakfasts for a fee.
Room amenities include: coffee maker, refrigerator, microwave, complimentary toiletries, hair dryer, and complimentary wireless Internet access.
Thursday, September 29
11:00am – 1:00pm: Registration in Hotel Lobby
1:00pm – 5:30pm: Tour of B Reactor*
Friday, September 30
7:00am – 5:00pm: Registration in Hotel Lobby
9:00am – 4:00pm: Breakout Sessions
4:00pm – 5:00pm: K-12 Teacher Welcome Mixer*
5:00pm – 6:00pm: Keynote Address from Anna King*
6:00pm – 7:30pm: Reception at Hotel
Saturday, October 1
7:00am – 3:00pm: Registration in Hotel Lobby
9:00am – 3:00pm: Breakout Sessions
3:00pm – 5:00pm: K12 Teacher Workshop*
5:00pm – 8:00pm: Rabbits and Rivers – Closing Event at Sacajawea State Park*
* Read more about these events in the “Conference Highlights” and “K-12 Teacher Opportunities” sections below!
First published photo of the B Reactor at Hanford, taken January 1945, with the Columbia River is visible in the background. Image courtesy of the Washington State Historical Society.
Tour of B Reactor
Manhattan Project Historical Park
September 29, 2022
1pm – 5:30pm
This pre-conference tour is included in your conference registration and will offer the unique opportunity to tour the world’s first full-scale plutonium production reactor. Today the site is part of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. The B Reactor Tour Program is administered by the U.S. Department of Energy. The tour lasts four hours and will be led by Robert Franklin, WSU Tri-Cities professor of history and assistant director of the Hanford History Project. On Thursday evening there will be an informal gathering at the hotel for those who attended the tour and would like to further discuss how the complex history of the site is interpreted for public audiences.
* Transportation will be provided from the conference hotel to the site by the US Department of Energy. Please dress appropriately for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes.
* Please note the last day to register for the B Reactor Tour is September 1, 2022.
Anna King, the PNWHC 2022 keynote speaker. Image courtesy of Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Keynote – Anna King
September 30, 2022
5pm – 6pm
Anna King is a journalist covering Washington’s Mid-Columbia region, from nuclear reactors to Mexican rodeos, and was the 2016 recipient of the WSHS David Douglas Award for her Daughter of Hanford series. If you listen to public radio, you’ve likely heard her reporting as a correspondent for the Northwest News Network. In her keynote address Ms. King will discuss her current research for an upcoming podcast about historical and contemporary cattle scandals in the Pacific Northwest.
Rabbits and Rivers: An evening of language, stories, and river memories
Sacagawea Historical State Park
October 1, 2022
5pm – 8pm
The conference will end with a closing event at Sacagawea Historical State Park in Pasco cohosted by the Washington State Historical Society, Oregon Historical Society, Confluence, and Washington State Parks. We will come together to enjoy food and beverages and reflect on the ideas and conversations that emerged throughout the conference. Attendees will have the opportunity to visit the interpretive center, engage with the Confluence Story Circles, designed by Maya Lin, and explore the site through the lenses of place names, dance, language, storytelling, teaching, and remembering. The evening will culminate with a Confluence Story Gathering, moderated by Emily Washines, bringing together Native Elders and leaders for a story-driven conversation about the histories, living cultures, and ecologies of the Columbia River system.
* This event is included in your conference registration. You will be responsible for transportation to the event. If you need a ride, or are able to offer a ride to others, please meet in the Red Lion Columbia Center Lobby at 4:30pm. LYFT discount vouchers will be provided to those not driving themselves or riding with others. Please dress for the weather as this event will be held outdoors.
Story Circles by Maya Lin at the Sacajawea Historical State Park. Image from the Confluence Project.
We look forward to welcoming K-12 teachers from across the Pacific Northwest to this year’s conference! In addition to two full days of conference sessions and events, we’ve got some special things planned for you.
K-12 Teacher Welcome Mixer
Friday, September 30, 2022
Red Lion Columbia Center
4pm – 5pm
Teacher Workshop
Saturday, October 1, 2022
Red Lion Columbia Center
3pm – 5pm
Join the education teams from the Idaho State Historical Society, Oregon Historical Society, and Washington State Historical Society and colleagues from across the region to discuss topics related to teaching Pacific Northwest History in a way that is engaging and inclusive. This is an opportunity to further explore themes that emerged from the conference sessions and brainstorm new approaches to content and pedagogy, as well as work with other educators to determine how you might put those approaches into practice in your own classroom. Snacks will be provided.
The deadline for session proposals has passed, but we are still accepting proposals for POSTER presentations. Posters should be approximately 20” x 25” to 30” x 42”. Poster presenters will be asked to stand with their posters for one hour and explain their research to interested attendees. Posters will be presented as part of an evening reception on Friday, September 30th.
All presenters selected for inclusion in the poster session are expected to register for the conference. Proposals must be submitted electronically by 5 PM on June 30. Successful applicants will be notified by July 13th.
Submit poster proposal HERE.
