By Helen Ofield, Historian to the Board, Lemon Grove Historical Society
Photo: Roberta Bulling, Education Chair, Lemon Grove Historical Society
March 27, 2023 (Lemon Grove) -- Lemon Grove's third graders have set a record: 142 entries in the 2023 Treganza History Essay Competition--the largest number in 33 years, or since Dr. Amorita Treganza launched and endowed the competition in 1990. She was also a founder of the Lemon Grove Historical Society (LGHS) in 1978, which annually sponsors two history competitions for third and eighth grades.
"These competitions, together with our free History Alive lecture series are our most important public projects," said Laura Hook, LGHS president. "We owe this record to the hard work of our board Education chair, Roberta Bulling, and to the outstanding work by our third grade teachers in the Lemon Grove School District, " to our supportive school superintendent, Erica Balakian, and to the linchpin of the district, Marianne Vinson."
"I could not be more thrilled," said Bulling. "Our judges will decided the winners this weekend and the awards will be presented on April 18 at 6 pm at the Lemon Grove City Council meeting. All are welcome to hail these eight-year-old scholars."
Treganza founded the competition to help third graders learn local history and appreciate their pioneer forebears. For use in the classroom, Bulling prepared a lively slide show about the Parsonage Museum, a historic building packed with appealing displays about local history.
"Our multicultural community is 60 percent Hispanic, 17 percent African American and 23% White, Asian and Native American. District enrollment is about 3,400 students. The 2023 essay competition drew 48 percent of third graders -- almost half.
For more information, visit www.lghistorical.org or call the museum at 619-460-4353.