From Student Workshops to Summer Teacher Institutes, Councils Provide Enrichment Activities for all Ages

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The state humanities councils are dedicated to providing opportunities for expanding understanding and learning throughout the summer and are helping educators, families, and communities connect over uniquely shared interests. Students can participate in Nebraska’s Young Writers Camp, learn about Charlotte’s Civil Rights experience through an oral history camp by North Carolina Humanities, and gain appreciation of English literature through a North Carolina residential program focused on Jane Austen’s life and writings (this residential program is also open to the public).

View more student programs here.

47-52093a674d3ca1889fe35f61d8275398_MHCFor educators, there are multiple summer teacher institutes offered by a variety of councils across the nation. Several councils also offer professional development opportunities for teachers, historians, and other educators. These programs not only connect educators in community, but also provide resources to help introduce topics into the classroom and increase student engagement. The gap between urban and rural communities is addressed in Alaska’s Cultural Immersion program where teachers not only understand how to bridge that gap, but also how to incorporate Alaskan Native culture into the classroom. Also addressing cultural differences, North Carolina Humanities provides educators with a program where they learn how to engage students in cross-cultural and global education. The Hawaii Council for the Humanities and Humanities Nebraska focus on topical curriculum for teachers. In Hawaii teachers are equipped to make the Holocaust relevant for today’s students, and in Nebraska, the program focuses on incorporating climate change curriculum into the classrooms. Also in Nebraska, the humanities council provides a hands-on experience for participants as they explore the state through a series of lectures and tours to different Nebraskan communities.  For historians, Mass Humanities hosts a conference to help connect and educate museum, library and other audiences about the relationships between current issues and the past.

Click here to learn more about council professional development opportunities.