ELECTRONIC OBERLIN GROUP
MISSION STATEMENT


Founded in 1996, the Electronic Oberlin Group (EOG) was a voluntary organization that sought to make available in electronic format a wide range of materials and resources about the town of Oberlin, Ohio, its diverse population, and its remarkable history. Our guiding belief was that recent developments in information technology provided an opportunity to enhance mutual understanding among members of our community by promoting collaborative exploration and education.

We focused most of our energies on developing a World Wide Web site at www.oberlin.edu/EOG and on enhancing the teaching of local history in elementary and secondary schools. We pursued our objectives in cooperation with Oberlin College, the Oberlin Public Schools, the Oberlin Historical and Improvement Organization (now the Oberlin Heritage Center), and the Oberlin Public Library.

In 1997-98, with the support of a focus grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the EOG sponsored a series of workshops for K-12 teachers on the theme "Oberlin History as American History." In 1998-99, with financial assistance from the Ameritech Foundation, we matched Oberlin College students with these teachers and their classes. As a result, students of all ages helped us expand the web site and deepen our knowledge of Oberlin's rich heritage. During 2000, supported by grants from the Ohio Humanities Council and the Stocker Foundation, we joined with the Oberlin Historical and Improvement Organization in developing an electronic database of historical images of downtown Oberlin.

In 2003 the Ohio Association of Historical Societies & Museums conferred a Commendation Award upon the Electronic Oberlin Group for the website "Oberlin Through History."

Gary Kornblith still accepts material for addition to the website.

For more information on the Electronic Oberlin Group, please feel free to contact Gary Kornblith or Carol Lasser by phone at 440-774-3087 or via E-mail at Gary.Kornblith@oberlin.edu or Carol.Lasser@oberlin.edu.