The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

For 25 years, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History has offered unique professional development (PD) opportunities for rigorous Teacher Seminars for K-12 educators. Studies have shown that most PD lacks what teachers need and want the most—rich content knowledge in subjects they teach. Each Teacher Seminar option provides high-quality PD, along with benefits unique to each program.

During the inaugural Teacher Seminar Summit, the Institute will offer twelve concurrent seminars ranging from the Age of Discovery through the twenty-first century. The Summit is expected to serve more than 400 teachers. Each attendee will participate in a seminar with a lead scholar and master teacher, and will have the opportunity to attend book talks where they can hear eminent historians discuss their major work. This unique format will also give all participating teachers a chance to network with each other.

Each 3-Day Regional Seminar will offer topics ranging from the Founding Era through 9/11 with priority given to teachers in the region. This format allows teachers to receive high-quality professional development without traveling far from home. In 2020, four 3-Day Regional Seminars will take place in

• Hingham, MA
• New York, NY
• Tampa, FL
• Washington, DC

Finally, our 6-Day Seminars provide teachers with the opportunity to delve deeply into a topic for a full week. Each of these nine in-residence seminars will be based at a leading university or historic site and offer topics from the Age of Discovery through the 1980s.

Seminar participants are required to attend the full schedule of events and to engage fully in projects. Participants are provided with a list of readings and are required to complete them prior to the seminar. Participants who do not complete the seminar will not receive the travel stipend. At the seminar's end, participants are required to submit evaluations reviewing their seminar work and assessing the seminar's value to their personal and professional development.

Participants usually live in campus dormitories. Participants will generally have their own bedroom but may share common living spaces and/or bathrooms. Please read about individual 6-Day Teacher Seminars for additional information on housing.

Housing is provided only for the duration of the seminar. We realize some participants will have to arrive a day early or stay a day late; participants are responsible for arranging and paying for housing on those days.

Participants will stay in dormitories at Gettysburg College. Participants will usually have their own bedroom but may share common living spaces and/or bathrooms.

Housing is provided only for the duration of the Teacher Seminar Summit. We realize some participants will have to arrive a day early or stay a day late; participants are responsible for arranging and paying for housing on those days.

We are unable to accommodate family and friends.

Yes. Residence is not required. Applicants applying on a day basis are at no disadvantage during the selection process.

No, we cannot defer your position. We encourage you to apply again, but cannot guarantee your acceptance at a later time.

Teacher Seminar applications need to be received by Tuesday, February 18, 2020. Affiliate School registrations must also be approved by this date for teachers to be eligible to apply.

Due to the high volume of applications received, our committee is unable to review additional materials. All selections are based solely on the online application.

A selection committee composed of educators and administrators evaluates all applications and uses a holistic approach to select the group. The selection committee looks for applicants who demonstrate a strong interest in American history, demonstrated need for professional development, concrete plan showing that what teachers gain will have a direct and profound impact on their students, commitment to growth and progress in the teaching profession, and desire to translate new knowledge and materials into effective classroom practice. The committee then strives to select a diverse group composed of teachers from across the country, from a variety of school types (public, private, parochial) with students from a range of cultural, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds.

On March 24, 2020, seminar notifications will be available by logging in to your account at www.gilderlehrman.org/seminar-status. You will not receive an email notification. Successful applicants will be directed to additional information and registration instructions through their online accounts.

The only email you will receive from the Gilder Lehrman Institute will be a confirmation email when your application is complete. No information concerning the status of an application will be available prior to the official notification date. Please wait to review your status through your online account before contacting the Gilder Lehrman Institute.

• Full-time K–12 teachers, principals, and librarians from schools in our Affiliate School Program may apply for Teacher Seminars. If your school is not an Affiliate School, you will be directed to a combined application form.
• Curriculum specialists and district supervisors may apply for Teacher Seminars as long as one of the schools you work with is in our Affiliate School Program. If your school is not an Affiliate School, you will be directed to a combined application form.
• National Park Service (NPS) interpreters are also eligible and are encouraged to apply.
• New participants as well as previous participants are eligible. Alumni can apply every year, even if they attended the previous year.

When making your seminar choices, please read descriptions carefully to ensure that the seminar is appropriate for your subject and grade level.

Unfortunately, we are unable to accept applications from part-time educators, home-school teachers, substitute teachers, or historical re-enactors.

Teacher Seminars are open to teachers of all subjects, school librarians, and National Park Service interpreters.

Yes, teachers from the same school may attend different Gilder Lehrman Teacher Seminars. One of our goals is to encourage the dissemination of information through teachers attending different seminars. We encourage you and your colleagues to share information and experiences upon your return to the classroom.

You may make up to three seminar selections on your application; successful applicants can only attend one program.

Applicants will be charged a nonrefundable $50 registration fee upon officially accepting their place in a Teacher Seminar.

Accepted participants will receive a list of readings and will be asked to purchase the reading materials (not to exceed $50) before the seminar.

For the Teacher Seminar Summit and 6-Day Seminars, the Gilder Lehrman Institute will provide a $350 travel stipend to help offset the cost of travel to and from the program. Participants are responsible for any travel expenses that exceed that amount. The Institute will not provide stipends for travel related to the 3-Day Regional Seminars.

Teacher Seminars are open to independent school teachers on a shared-funding basis.

The Gilder Lehrman Institute provides room and board for the 6-Day Seminars and the Teacher Seminar Summit. The Institute provides breakfast and lunch during the 3-Day Regional Seminars.

For the Teacher Seminar Summit and 6-Day Seminars, participants will receive a $350 travel stipend upon completion of the program. For participants traveling internationally or from Alaska or Hawaii, a travel stipend of $500 will be provided. Participants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements to and from the seminar. Participants should be prepared to pay for all personal expenses. The Institute provides breakfast and lunch during the 3-Day Regional Commuter Seminars.

Please note that we are unable to provide supplemental funding in cases where the travel stipend is insufficient to cover all travel expenses. For more details on our travel stipend policy, please click here.

Teacher Seminars are open to independent school teachers on a shared-funding basis.

After registering, you may withdraw from a seminar but your registration fee will not be refunded.

Gilder Lehrman Teacher Seminars are generally eligible for CEU and PDP credits, but it is your responsibility to verify eligibility with your school administration or state PD office. (Please note that the Institute is an approved provider of Professional Development in Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington State.) If you need more information to determine eligibility than is available on the Teacher Seminars page, please email us at seminars@gilderlehrman.org.

At this time, we are not able to offer graduate credit for our Teacher Seminars. We hope to offer graduate credit for our seminars in the near future; in the meantime, you may wish to consider taking courses in the Pace&endash;Gilder Lehrman Institute Online MA in American History Program.

All participants should plan to bring their own laptop computers to complete seminar projects. While some colleges have computer clusters available, many do not.

Yes, all sites have Internet access, but you may need to provide your own cables; most sites have wireless Internet access.