JMC Exceeds Past K-12 Program Numbers, Conducting 24 Programs in Summer 2023
As our efforts with K-12 teachers continue to grow, we’ve reached an all-time high for summer programs: JMC has completed 24 teacher education programs across 9 states this summer alone!
Programming included graduate courses in Illinois and Massachusetts, symposiums in Florida and Wisconsin, a summer institute in Texas, and workshops in Virginia.
Faculty partners across the country are leading discussions with educators on the American Revolution, Tocqueville, the First Amendment, Frederick Douglass, and more.
Check out program highlights below!
FLORIDA
June 20-22 – “Teaching Civics in Uncivil Times” at Florida Atlantic University
Led by with Senior Instructor Kristin Shockley, Professor Kevin Wagner, and Professor Stephen Engle, middle and high school social studies teachers took a closer look at key primary documents from the Founding to the Civil War and secondary sources like Hamilton: An American Musical. In addition to scholar-led discussions, each day included a classroom application session focused on engaging students with primary sources and strategies for teaching controversial topics in class.
June 26-30 – “The American Political Tradition” at Admiral Farragut Academy
Fifteen teachers from across the country started The American Political Tradition Institute, a yearlong program for a select group of teachers, with five days at Admiral Farragut Academy. Professors Jeremy Mhire, Daniel DiSalvo, Lynn Uzzell, David Ramsey, and Alberto Coll led sessions on natural rights, the Constitution, slavery, Tocqueville, and America in the world. Ben Boyce and Jacob Schueller started classroom application sessions that will continue virtually throughout the 2023-24 academic year.
July 23 – Conference with the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative
At the invitation of the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative, JMC Teacher Programs Manager Benjamin Boyce met with fifteen teachers from all over Florida who attended for training to launch debate clubs in their home districts. Over the course of three days, Boyce led sessions on the power of primary sources in debate, sourcing and excerpting primary sources, and promoting JMC’s ContextUS online resources.
July 17-19 – “Voices of Dissent” at the University of West Florida
Hosted by Professor David Ramsey with sessions led by Professors James Patterson, Thomas Pope, and Tony Bartl, and JMC Teacher Programs Manager Ben Boyce, participants read and discussed primary sources related to dissent in American history – selected essays of the Anti-Federalists, but also important dissents in Supreme Court history and some of the third-party speakers (William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. DuBois, Theodore Roosevelt) who have spoken out and achieved results in American history.
July 28-29 – “Turning Points in US History” Conference at the Florida Council for History Education
The Florida Council for History Education is a fast-growing network of Florida social science teachers. At their annual conference in St. Augustine, Florida, Teacher Programs Manager Ben Boyce hosted the JMC’s exhibitor’s table, meeting with teachers and curriculum directors from all over the state to spread awareness of JMC’s professional development programs. The theme of the conference was “Turning Points in US History.” Boyce presented a teacher-focused session on the Gettysburg Address, showing how teachers might take a renewed approach to Lincoln’s celebrated speech.
Click here to learn more about K-12 programming in Florida >>
ILLINOIS
June 16-July 28 – “The American Constitutional Experience” at Lake Forest College
In this course led by Professor Evan Oxman, teachers examined the American constitutional experience from as broad a lens as possible (including via film and literature) in order to assess its legitimacy.
June 19-30 – “Teaching American Civic History in an Age of Controversy” at the University of Chicago Graham School
This course, led by Professor Fred Beuttler, explored the history of America, from the colonial period to the present, concentrating on secondary sources texts from different political perspectives including the New York Times’ 1619 Project, Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States, and Wilfred McClay’s Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story.
July 10-21 – “Political Thought of the American Revolution” at the University of Chicago Graham School
Led by Professor James Vaughn, teachers examined the American Revolutionary experience broadly conceived, from the beginning of the British imperial crisis following the Seven Years’ War to the ratification of the Federal Constitution and the launching of the new national government.
MASSACHUSETTS
July 17-28 – “Democracy in America” at Tufts University
Participants explored what makes the United States and American democracy distinctive in this graduate course taught by Professor Ioannis Evrigenis.
NEW YORK
July 31-August 3 – “Liberty, Equality, and Citizenship” Summer Institute with Civic Spirit
Teachers from faith-based schools across the country came to New York City to learn with JMC faculty partners Roosevelt Montás, Susan McWilliams Barndt, Diana Schaub, and Lucas Morel. Civic Spirit’s Educators Cohort is a yearlong fellowship for teachers at faith-based schools aiming to strengthen civic education at their schools.
SOUTH CAROLINA
June 5-9 – Summer Institute at Coastal Carolina University
Middle- and high-school social studies teachers explored constitutional ratification and interpretation, slavery and the Civil War, presidential power, political ideology, and the Civil Rights era with Professors Kimberly Hurd Hale, Drew Kurlowski, and Michael Promisel.
July 12-14 – “Investigating Foundational Questions in American Civics: A Primary Source Discussion” at North Greenville University
Local teachers joined Professors Nicholas Higgins and Matthew Young for a close look at central primary documents by James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, Alexis de Tocqueville, Abraham Lincoln and others. In addition to these key texts, sessions focused on challenges of civil discourse in the classroom and strategies addressing difficult topics with students.
SOUTH DAKOTA
June 12-14 – Civics & History Summit in Sioux Falls, SD
South Dakota educators gathered to collaborate and gather ideas to elevate their students’ experience and infuse the study of history, civics, and geography into daily classroom life. Professor Nicholas Drummond led a session on the Federalist and Anti-Federalist debates.
TEXAS
July 10-14 – “Race and American Politics” at Baylor University
In this 5-day seminar, teachers discussed primary documents and how best to implement them into their classrooms in an impactful way. Writings discussed were drawn from Martin Luther King Jr., W.E.B. DuBois and Fredrick Douglass. Sessions were led by Professors Benjamin Kleinerman, Rebecca McCumbers Flavin, Steve Block, Jordan Cash and JMC Teacher Education Fellow Dr. Danton Kostandarithes.
July 17-20 – “The American Civic Tradition” at the University of North Texas
This four-day seminar series featured Dr. Catherine Borck, Professor Alexander Duff, Professor Richard Ruderman, Professor Jeremy Mhire, and JMC Teacher Education Fellow Dr. Danton Kostandarithes and examined the theoretical ideas that informed the creation and development of America’s political system and some of the contemporary challenges to the maintenance of American democracy.
VIRGINIA
June 26-30 – “Summer Civics Institute: American Principles and Debates” at American University
In this week-long professional development seminar for middle- and high-school teachers, organized by Professor Alan Levine, participants studied the key principles and debates of the American republic from its founding until today. They read and discussed key texts, such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Federalist Papers, as well as key speeches and writings from the United States’ most thoughtful leaders, such as Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcom X, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, among others. Dr. Danton Kostandarithes led a classroom application session.
July 19-21 – “The Civil War in Hampton Roads” at Christopher Newport University
In this workshop, organized by JMC Board Member Professor Elizabeth Kaufer Busch, Professor Jonathan White led teachers through an examination of Secession, the African American quest for freedom, and the pivotal role of Hampton Roads in the conflict.
July 21-23 – “The American Revolution: 1763-1783” at Christopher Newport University
This three-day workshop on the American Revolution examined the ideas and actions that shaped the modern history of North America and specifically asked “How can we make the story our nation’s revolutionary founding central to the education of every young American citizen?”
WISCONSIN
June 12-14 – Civic Literacy and Citizenship Symposium
This annual symposium enhances high school teaching in texts and ideas that will contribute to a deeper understanding of America’s founding principles and history and the wider traditions that influenced their development. Faculty from the Center for the Study of Liberal Democracy, Professors Richard Avramenko and Ryan Owens, were joined by Dr. Robert Burton, Professor Sean Beienburg, Professor Tim Shiell, and Professor Lee Trepanier.
July 19-21 – “The First Amendment and the Constitution”
This symposium, organized by Professor Eric Kasper and Phil Recheck explored topics related to the First Amendment and U.S. Constitution. JMC Teacher Program Manager Jacob Schueller helped teachers think about applying these materials in the classroom.
About the Jack Miller Center
The Jack Miller Center is a nationwide network of scholars and civics teachers committed to educating the next generation about the foundational texts and ideas of the American political tradition.
Through its network of more than 1,000 scholars in the fields of American history and political thought, the Jack Miller Center provides professional development for social studies teachers and builds innovative partnerships between higher education institutions and the K-12 teaching force. More information on the Jack Miller Center is available at www.jackmillercenter.org.
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