Summer Seminars and Institutes for K-12 Educators

NEH Summer Seminars and Institutes for K-12 Educators provide school teachers across the nation the opportunity to broaden and deepen their engagement with the humanities. One- to four-week residential programs, led by scholars and K-12 professionals, allow participants (NEH Summer Scholars) to study a variety of humanities topics. Seminars and Institutes focus on the intellectual quality of humanities education and address recent developments in scholarship, teaching, and/or curriculum.

NEH Summer Seminars and Institutes
• focus on the study and teaching of significant texts and other resources;
• provide models of excellent scholarship and teaching;
• contribute to the intellectual growth of the participants; and
• build lasting communities of inquiry.

A program may take place at a college, university, learned society, center for advanced study, library or other repository, cultural or professional organization, or school or school system. The host site must provide facilities for collegial interaction and scholarship. The program may be held only in the United States and its territories.

Seminars and Institutes are open to the entire spectrum of K-12 educators. Individual projects target educators of one or more of the following grade ranges: K-5, 6-8, and/or 9-12.

Seminars
A Seminar provides a focused environment in which sixteen participants study a specific humanities topic under the guidance of one or two established scholars. Seminars have few, if any, visiting faculty. Seminars emphasize sustained interaction among the participants and director(s) through discussion of common readings and conversations about teaching. Substantial time is made available for reflection, work on independent projects, and related advising.

Institutes
An Institute allows twenty-five to thirty-six participants to study a humanities topic with a team of experienced scholars and K-12 professionals. Because this larger format emphasizes the range of perspectives that can be brought to the topic, an institute typically has more and longer meetings per week than a seminar. The participants and scholarly team mutually explore connections between scholarship and teaching, and some time is provided for work on individual or collaborative projects.