TeachRock Teachers Summit 2026
Event Details
The National Humanities Center, in partnership with TeachRock, invites educators to participate in the 2026 TeachRock Teachers Summit, a residential summer institute exploring how music can serve as a powerful primary source for historical inquiry and civic learning.
During this immersive professional learning experience, participants will investigate how rock and soul music of the 1960s provides a unique lens for understanding some of the most significant social, political, and cultural movements in modern American history. Educators will benefit from close engagement with music, lyrics, historical documents, and scholarship. They will examine themes of peace, justice, civil rights, civic participation, and the rule of law, while developing strategies to bring these topics to life in their classrooms.
Founded by musician and educator Stevie Van Zandt, TeachRock provides free, standards-aligned educational resources that use music to deepen student engagement across disciplines. Together, TeachRock and the National Humanities Center will bring decades of experience in humanities education, curriculum development, and teacher professional learning to this summer’s cohort of K–12 educators.
Program Overview
Held at the National Humanities Center, the 2026 TeachRock Teachers Summit will bring together a select group of educators from across the country for three days of collaborative learning, discussion, and curriculum design. Participants will explore how music from the 1960s can illuminate major historical developments, including:
- The Civil Rights Movement
- The Vietnam War
- The Women’s Movement
- Youth activism and social change
- Questions of justice, democracy, and civic responsibility
By examining music as both a historical artifact and a form of cultural expression, educators will gain new tools for helping students develop historical thinking skills, empathy, critical analysis, and civic awareness.
Institute Experience
Participants will engage in:
- Interactive sessions with music scholars and education specialists
- Inquiry-based exploration of music and historical sources
- Hands-on curriculum design activities
- Opportunities to connect with educators from diverse teaching contexts
Educators will leave the institute with:
- Practical strategies for using music as a primary source in the classroom
- Classroom-ready lessons, activities, and assessments aligned to academic standards
- A deeper understanding of the relationship between music, culture, and historical change
- Access to TeachRock’s extensive collection of free educational resources
- A professional network of humanities educators committed to innovative, student-centered learning
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