Professional Development

Ohio Department of Education: SSIO Institute

The Social Studies Institute of Ohio (SSIO) promotes a deeper understanding of content and standards-based instruction through professional development opportunities for social studies teachers. Institutes are designed for grades nine through 10 teachers. Participants are strongly encouraged to attend in teams so that teachers can work together to implement strategies from the Institute. Special education teachers and those needing content courses to meet the HQT requirement are strongly encouraged to attend. SSIO provides resources and professional development opportunities especially for Ohio's Social Studies educators.

People to People: Ambassador Programs:

People to People Ambassador Programs provides foreign educational travel experiences for professionals. Through meetings, seminars and cultural activities, participants connect with people in similar professions overseas. The programs join common interest in uncommon places through journeys that enrich the world.

Fulbright Teaching Exchange Program:

Since 1946, the Fulbright teaching Exchange Program has helped nearly 23, 000 teachers and administrators contribute to mutual understanding between the United States and countries around the world. If you are a full-time U.S. teacher or administrator, you may be eligible to apply to the regular program.

The Earthwatch Teacher Fellowship:

This program offers educators opportunities to participate in a two-week summer expeditions throughout the world. Volunteers work alongside professional researchers and join a team of diverse volunteers. Research is multidisciplinary, from archaeology to marine biology, so full-time K-12 teachers of all subjects are eligible.

The Holocaust Museum Teacher Fellowship Program

What does the Fellowship offer? Join the program’s exclusive national corps of skilled teachers who serve as leaders in Holocaust education in their schools, communities, and professional organizations. This year, up to 15 Museum Fellows will be selected to participate in the five-day program at the Museum in Washington, D.C., July 13–18, 2008. All expenses for travel and living accommodations are included. After the intensive summer program, Fellows return home and create outreach projects to advance Holocaust education in their communities. From July 16–18, 2009, Fellows attend a follow-up program at the Museum to assess their progress and continue their Holocaust studies. 

Who is eligible? Secondary school (7th– 12th grade) history, social studies, foreign language, and English teachers, librarians, and instructional media specialists, who have an extensive knowledge of Holocaust history, have taught the Holocaust for at least five years in U.S. schools, and are active participants in community and professional organizations, may apply. (Educators with less than five years’ experience teaching about the Holocaust should apply to the Museum’s Belfer Conference.)How do I apply? Contact Peter J. Fredlake, Coordinator, Museum Teacher Fellowship Program, 202.314.0352; fax 202.314.7888; e-mail pfredlake@ushmm.org; or write to the address below. To download an application and for more information, visit the Museum’s Web site at ushmm.org; under “Education” go to “For Teachers” and then “Fellowships.”  Applications must be submitted or postmarked by February 15, 2008.

Contact Peter J. Fredlake, Coordinator, Museum Teacher Fellowship Program, 202.314.0352; fax 202.314.7888; e-mail pfredlake@ushmm.org; or write to the address below. To download an application and for more information, visit the Museum’s Web site at ushmm.org; under “Education” go to “For Teachers” and then “Fellowships.” 

The National Endowment for the Humanities Institute

2008 International Summer Institute for Secondary and Post-Secondary Educators: Multiple Perspective

The International Summer Institute is organized jointly by the area studies centers and other international studies programs at the University of Illinois. This intensive institute will address more effective ways of incorporating non-Western histories as well as Western history in teaching of World Histories/Cultures.  Case studies, presentations and lesson plan development will focus on the following regions: Africa, East Asia, European Union, Latin America, Eastern Europe & Russia, Middle East & South Asia, and the incorporation of the United States in these histories

While all K-14 teachers are welcome, the curriculum materials are geared mainly towards middle school, high school and college educators. The workshop is aimed at social studies/social science teachers, particularly those teaching history, geography, sociology, and world cultures.  

For more information about the institute visit the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign website linked above or contact Lynda Park, Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center at 217-333-6022 or lypark@uiuc.edu.

NEH: Landmarks of American History Workshop: Race and Place: African Americans in Washington DC from

K-12 educators from throughout the U.S. and its territories are invited to apply to participate in this unique professional development opportunity taking place from July 13-18th and August 3-8th. This workshop is offered by Decatur House Museum and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Educators will travel to Washington DC where you will join other educators as you explore session topics, which include: urban enslavement and resistance to slavery in the nation's capital; perspectives on emancipation: Abraham Lincoln and Elizabeth Keckly; Frederick Douglass in Washington : politics and institutions of reconstruction; and community, education and activism in segregated Washington . Fifty applicants will be selected for each session of the six-day workshops. Each participant will receive a $500 stipend plus a partial travel reimbursement. CEU's are available and graduate credit may be available. Applications for this special opportunity are being accepted through March 17, 2008 . If you are interested, visit the Race and Place website for more information on how to apply.

Teachers Study in Southern Africa this Summer: Become a Fulbright Scholar

The University of Toledo , with funding from the U.S. Department of Education Fulbright-Hays Program, is sponsoring a seminar in the southern African countries of South Africa and Lesotho , June 21 – July 30, 2008. Designed for educators, the focus of the seminar will be southern African political, cultural and historical relations, especially the relations between South Africa and Lesotho .Participants will spend over five weeks in southern Africa interacting with African teachers and government officials while visiting historic and contemporary sites and sharing professional expertise with teachers and organizations in the region.  

Accepted seminar members will pay $850 of the direct program costs of over $8000 per person plus personal expenses including for pre-and post-travel seminars in Toledo and transportation to and from the departure/arrival airport. Information and applications (due January 10, 2008) are available at the link above, or interested teachers can contact contact Professor Richard Weisfelder, Department of Political Science, University of Toledo , MS #511, Toledo , OH 43606-3390 , (419) 530-2265. rweisfe@utnet.utoledo.edu 

Natioal History Day Summer Institute - Savannah, Georgia - July 13-18

National History Day is offering a summer institute for teachers titled, "Slaves, Slavery and the Individual in America 's Past." The Institute will feature: Sessions led by prominent historians who will discuss the latest research and scholarship that deals with the history of slaves and their impact on the shape and development of the nation; field trips to nearby historic site; and breakout sessions and activities that will focus on various active learning techniques. The Institute covers room and board, field trips, and books and materials. Applications must be received no later than March 15. Applications are available online at National History Day's website.

Holocaust Memorial Museum: 2008 Arthur and Rochelle Belfer National Conference for Educators

The Education Division of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is pleased to announce the 2008 Arthur and Rochelle Belfer National Conference for Educators. The conference is funded by a grant from the Belfer Foundation.  Middle and high school educators with five or less years’ experience teaching about the Holocaust are invited to apply to attend this conference from June 22-24, 2008. (Educators with five or more years’ experience teaching about the Holocaust may apply to the Museum Teacher Fellowship Program; an online application is available at the URL listed below.)

In Belfer Conference sessions designed specifically for middle and high school teachers, Museum educators and scholars share rationales, strategies, and approaches for presenting the complex subject of the Holocaust to students.  Participants hear survivor testimony and have extensive time to view the Museum’s Permanent Exhibition, Remember the Children: Daniel’s Story, and other special exhibitions and to use the interactive computers in the Wexner Learning Center. Seminar sessions emphasize planning and implementing units of study for Holocaust education in middle and high schools.  Teachers who complete the program receive a set of educational materials and a voucher worth $100 to purchase Holocaust-related resources in the Museum Shop.

To apply, please complete the online application at ushmm.org/education/foreducators/ and fax a letter of recommendation from your supervisor to Nicole Hanna at 202.314.7888. Applications are due no later than June 6, 2008.

While there is no charge for the conference, participants are responsible for their own transportation and accommodations. For more information, contact Peter J. Fredlake, Coordinator, Museum Teacher Fellowship Program, at 202.314.0352 or pfredlake@ushmm.org.

Global Exploration for Education Organization

Would you like to earn professional development credit while seeing the world? Would your students benefit by learning from a teacher with first hand experience in other countries?  Would you like to travel abroad affordably on subsidized trips designed specifically for educators? For the summer of 2008, we will be running trips to Peru, Tanzania, Nepal and India.

GEEO is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to helping educators travel internationally and bring their experiences back into the classroom.  Please go to our website to find out more about GEEO’s 2008 travel opportunities and feel free to contact GEEO if you have any questions.