Historic Records Lead List of Online Civics Resources Available to Educators During National Archives 2024 Teacher Institute
By Pete Lewis | National Archives News
WASHINGTON, July 15, 2024 – The National Archives in Washington, DC, completed its annual Civics for All of US Teacher Institute, July 11. During the two sessions, which were held June 24–27 and July 8–11, educators from around the country learned how to use primary sources held by the National Archives to provide students with civic skills and understanding to promote civic engagement in modern times.
Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan (front center) poses with attendees of the 2024 Civics for All of Us Teacher Institute, hosted by and at the National Archives in Washington, DC, July 10, 2024. National Archives photo by Susana Raab
“Teachers came from across the country, from California to Vermont, and even from Department of Defense schools in Germany and the United Kingdom,” said Nicholas Coddington, Supervisor of Education at the National Archives. “We had almost a hundred teachers participate this year, and our goal was to ensure they leave with tools they can take back to their schools and be able to empower their students toward civic engagement.”
During the sessions, teachers:
- discovered different methods for connecting primary sources with today’s civics, during participatory sessions created by National Archives educators from the Center for Legislative Archives, Presidential Libraries, and other National Archives sites around the country;
- improved understanding and ability in finding and applying educational resources available through the National Archives, such as Civics for All of US and DocsTeach;
- participated in curated activities and tours of National Archives exhibits;
- worked jointly with other educators from across the nation in collaborative projects and discussion;
- researched how visits to the plethora of well-known landmarks and institutions in the nation’s capital can amplify students’ civic education; and
- designed a plan of action for sharing National Archives resources with students and fellow educators during the 2024–25 school year.
“I think the things I’m going to be most excited to share with my students will be the activities and resources from DocsTeach, in addition to the information available from the Presidential Libraries,” said Caroline Lee, an educator at Athens Bible School in Athens, AL. “I had no idea that those resources were out there, and they’re going to be great supplements to the curriculum that we have, and will increase our students’ interest and comprehension.”
“I currently am teaching government and civics, so thinking about how to use the Founding Documents and how to partner them with more contemporary issues is the reason why I’m here, and I am getting a lot of resources to be able to do that,” said Catherine Cristofani, from New Trier High School in Winnetka, IL. “Being able to speak about the espousing values and how they have played out over time and to be able to put that into conversation about contemporary issues; I definitely feel like I’ve been provided with plenty of resources to be able to do that.”
Many participants praised the Teacher Institute and expressed hope and excitement about future events.
“It’s been fantastic!,” said Alicia Hale, a teacher at Eastside Preparatory School in Kirkland, WA. “I would love to actually have an event at our own Archives in Seattle where we could look into some of the documents that are held there. I know that I’ll be encouraging teachers from my own school to come to future National Archives events, as well as online programs that become available.”
To learn more about promoting civic literacy and engagement, visit the Civics for All of US website.
To learn more about teaching with documents from the National Archives, visit the DocsTeach website.
Visit the National Archives online for more news.
View the National Archives Calendar of Events for information on upcoming events.
The 2024 Civics for All of US Teacher Institute was made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation.