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.
We respect teachers’ professionalism in all learning opportunities.
We build and sustain history education communities where everyone belongs.
We publicly support teaching and learning of accurate, inclusive, complex histories.
NCHE welcomes history educators from all corners of the country and all educational settings. We invite teachers to participate in our programming in a variety of ways:
NCHE partners with educators and institutions across the country through targeted grant programs that bring innovative history education to diverse communities. Our current grants support teachers in rural Maine, Kansas, the Great Plains, and Florida’s Space Coast, in addition to initiatives like History for All and Engaging Dialogue through Global Encounters. All of our programming aims to champion history educators and expand access to meaningful historical inquiry.
You belong in this community!
The 10 History’s Habits of Mind helps educators and students see the world through a historical-thinking lens.
Live webinars and archived webinars are free and available to anyone.
The annual conference welcomes 400+ educators from all over, to learn, share, commiserate, and build community.
The Rural Experience in America project is now closed, but podcasts are available for all. NEH Landmarks of American History and Culture grants welcome applicants from across the country.
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was founded in 1990, as the successor to the Bradley Commission on History in Schools, to promote the importance of historical content and historical thinking in K-12 education.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.
Everyone is a learner.
Leaders support and uplift.
Teaching is public service.
None of us are alone.
We nurture reciprocal trust.
History education is critical to understand the world around us, and the National Council for History Education (NCHE) thrives on support from individuals like you. Here’s how you can help:
Contributions of any size help NCHE provide resources for teachers and advocate for quality history education.
Share NCHE’s work on social media, advocate at state legislatures, learn from teacher friends, read books about diverse histories.
Consider running for school board to have a direct impact on your community.
Our staff live across the country and work remotely. We bring a wealth of experience – in classrooms, museums, universities, and elsewhere – and a common passion for supporting history education. Staff roles vary, from project-based work in specific regions, to conference planning, to widespread support for teachers on a national scale, to organizational support for fellow NCHE staff. Learn more about our staff here.
NCHE is funded by an array of sources. Federal grants compose the majority of our funding, including grants from the US Department of Education, the Library of Congress, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. We also rely on support from sponsors, exhibitors, and advertisers at our annual conference, as well as individual contributions in the form of memberships and donations. Please consider making a donation to help our staff continue this important work!
