The Rural Experience in America

Professional Development for Teachers

Funded by a grant from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program, NCHE is proud to announce a 3-part colloquium for teachers focusing on Rural America. 

The Rural Experience in America - Asynchronous Learning -   K-12 registered teachers will self-pace through the Library of Congress online course from December 1, 2021 through January 31, 2022.  We’ve also partnered with the Right Question Institute, and there will be a 4-week course offered from February 1 - March 1, 2022 that blends the Question Formulation Technique with primary sources. If you do not have a lot of experience using primary sources in your classroom, want to learn about the Library of Congress’s collection of sources, and/or want to add to your toolbox of strategies to use with primary sources, this professional learning is highly recommended!

The Rural Experience in America - Online Colloquia - K-12 registered teachers will participate in three online synchronous Saturday professional development sessions led by historians and educational specialists. These sessions will be held on March 5, 2022, April 2, 2022, and May 7, 2022 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm (EST) and will focus on the regions and history of rural America.  During this time, teachers also applying for Part C will be expected to identify a community partner. NCHE is happy to assist if needed. Part B will require a portfolio that includes examples of how you will use this information with your students. Submission of this portfolio and attendance in all three sessions is required for teachers applying for the Onsite Colloquium (Part C).    Click here for specific topics and presenters.

The Rural Experience in America - Onsite Colloquium -  15 teachers (preference will be given to K-12 teachers in rural schools) will be selected to travel to the University of Oklahoma along with their community partners on July 16 – 17, 2022. During this two-day learning experience, teachers and community partners will build civic connections and develop a plan for their students to create a public history project in their own community. In addition, there will also be some planned tours for seeing firsthand public history in action. Teachers will receive a $750 stipend to defray travel costs and up to $750 to support their community project. The deadline for applications will be March 18, 2022. For application consideration, teachers must have completed the Online Colloquia (Part B).