About Us
Professional Learning
We respect teachers’ professionalism in all learning opportunities
Advocacy
We publicly support teaching and learning of accurate, inclusive, complex histories.
Community Building
We build and sustain history education communities where everyone belongs.
OUR MISSION
We champion history education and uplift history education professionals.
The National Council for History Education is a nonprofit professional organization that elevates the importance of history teaching and learning through professional learning, community building, and advocacy.
The National Council for History Education’s work focuses on three areas: professional learning, community building, and advocacy. History teachers are scholars and learners, and it’s important to have access to opportunities to learn from professors, public historians, and fellow educators. Within these learning spaces, educators build community across grades, buildings, cities, and often states or regions. NCHE sustains relationships with educators and educational organizations, positioning us to advocate for K-12 history education and the professionalism of teachers.
OUR VISION
We lead the way toward a society where all history educators belong to a trusted community of practice, and all learners see themselves reflected in the past and present.
Our Values
Learning
Everyone is a learner.
Community
None of us are alone.
Leadership
Leaders support and uplift.
Service
Teaching is a public service.
Trust
We nurture reciprocal trust.
Learn more about what we do
Our History
The National Council for History Education was founded in 1990, as the successor to the Bradley Commission on History in Schools, to promote the importance of historical content and historical thinking in K-12 education. From the beginning, NCHE was not a project of university scholars, but rather of a partnership between historians and practicing classroom teachers. The founding members of NCHE represented a mix of careers, including K-12 teachers, university professors, public historians, museum educators, authors, community members, and history enthusiasts. Two of NCHE’s signature offerings – the Colloquium professional development model, and the History’s Habits of Mind – were created in the organization’s early years. In the three decades that followed, NCHE continued to champion history education and uplift history education professionals through the peaks and valleys of educational policy. The goals and strategies of NCHE have changed over 30 years, but the mission remains steady: we are here to support history educators as they teach students accurate, inclusive, and complex histories.