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The National Humanities Center's
Teacher Professional Development Program
and the U.S. Department of Education's
Teaching American History Grants


The National Humanities Center's seminar model of teacher professional development makes a solid foundation for projects funded under the U.S. Department of Education's Teaching American History (TAH) program. Since 2002 the Center's approach has served as the basis for six successful TAH proposals that have brought more than $5 million to school districts in Minnesota, North Carolina, and South Carolina. When part of a TAH project, the Center provides training and consultation to organizers and teachers so that they can not only create seminars during their project but also sustain them when the grant ends.

Through the TAH program, the Department of Education seeks to deepen students' knowledge of American history. It does so by supporting professional development initiatives of up to three years that help teachers acquire the knowledge and skills to teach traditional American history in an exciting and engaging way. TAH grants are competitive. To receive one, a local educational agency must agree to carry out the proposed activities in partnership with an organization that offers extensive content expertise. The National Humanities Center qualifies as such an organization. In addition, the project must incorporate the principles of effective, research-based professional development. The Center's model meets this requirement. (For an analysis comparing the Center's approach with research-based professional development standards, please visit https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/npdstandards.htm.)

To learn more about the Teaching American History program, visit the Department of Education's website at https://www.ed.gov/programs/teachinghistory/index.html.





Toolbox Library: Primary Resources in U.S. History and Literature
National Humanities Center
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Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
Phone: (919) 549-0661  Fax: (919) 990-8535
Toll Free: 1-877-271-7444
Web site comments and questions, contact: nhc_ed@nationalhumanitiescenter.org
Copyright © 2006 National Humanities Center. All rights reserved.
Revised: December 2006
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