Session Abstract

Session Title:  K-16 Collaboration after the Teaching American History Grant: What Now?

Discussion / Roundtable – Panel,  ID #8485

Session Organizer:  Nancy McTygue, Executive Director, the California History-Social Science Project, University of California, Davis

Roundtable Panelists: 

• Carroll Van West, Director of the Center for Historic Preservation and Professor of History at Middle Tennessee State University.  Director, Teaching with Primary Sources Consortium for the Library of Congress. 
• Stephen Aron, Professor of History, UCLA and Executive Director, of the Institute for the Study of the American West at the Autry National Center.
• Ralph Lewin, President and CEO, Cal Humanities (formerly California Council for the Humanities)
• Dave Neumann, Director, The History Project at California State University, Long Beach and Dominguez Hills

Session Abstract

This session will consider the question many historians and history teachers are asking in the wake of end of the Teaching American History grant – what now?  The brainchild of the late Robert Byrd, longtime Senator from West Virginia, the Teaching American History grant provided more than one billion dollars of support for teacher professional development since its inception in 2001.  Federal funding for the competitive grant program ended in late 2011 as part of Congressional negotiations finalizing the fiscal year 2012 budget.  Although the program had its critics, its supporters hailed the program’s unique opportunities for collaboration between scholars and K-12 teachers.  While funding for this program has been eliminated, interest in K-16 partnerships continues. 

This roundtable discussion will feature four experienced presenters discussing their work across the K-16 spectrum, with experience in the Teaching American History program as well as other federal, state, and local initiatives, including the Teaching with Primary Sources Consortium at the Library of Congress, national and state humanities programs, National Park Service and historical preservation activities, Advanced Placement trainings, and the California History-Social Science Project.  In addition to current opportunities for collaboration, presenters will highlight the benefits and challenges of collaborative efforts and offer suggestions to support sustainable long-term partnerships.

The session will include brief initial statements by each of the panelists, discussion between panelists, and substantial interaction between panel members and the session audience, facilitated by the session organizer.