By taking the summer to enrich themselves professionally, teachers can rejuvenate and prevent future burnout. Some non-profits and government agencies offer grants, courses, and travel opportunities that help ease the financial burden.
The Gilder Lehrman Institute Offers Courses With Scholars
History teachers may have a chance to study at Ivy League or other prestigious universities thanks to the Gilder Lehrman Institute. The Gilder Lehrman Institute aims to expand the study of American History and offers summer seminars with renowned scholars, even Pulitzer Prize winners, across the United States and Internationally. Competition is intense.
The list of workshops is released early in the year and teachers need to apply and submit letters of recommendation from their school administrators. Selected teachers are provided with modest housing, often the university dorms, and given a stipend to help cover travel expenses.
The China Institute Brings Teachers to China
The China Institute offers annual summer study tours in China to teachers who teach about China. The Institute’s goal is to help teachers increase their understanding of China and help them use their new knowledge to develop creative lesson plans. Each summer the study tour has a new theme, whether its Confucius or sustainable development. In order to qualify for the three week Summer Study Tour, teachers must first take a class with the China Institute to demonstrate commitment.
Then, teachers must submit a detailed application, which includes two essays, and two letters of recommendation from a colleague and a school administrator. Upon returning, teachers are expected to attend two workshops at the China Institute and write a lesson plan based on what they learned. In return for this work, $500 grants are given to their schools.
The Japan Society and Korean Society each offer similar programs.
National Endowment for the Arts offers Domestic and International Seminars
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), an agency of the U.S. Federal government, sponsors summer seminars and institutes for teachers that provide the opportunity to study in the U.S. or internationally. NEH programs range from one week to six weeks.
NEH’s Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshops provide educators the opportunity to visit and study important landmarks such as the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan or the Martin Luther King, National Historic Site in Atlanta, GA. These are one-week programs that integrate field trips, lecture, discussion, and workshops to create lesson plans.
International study is also made available through NEH. One of the 2010 summer institutes allowed teachers to analyze the “Historical Interpretations of the Industrial Revolution in Britain” in London and Nottingham, U.K.
Use a Summer Study Program to Prepare for September
Learning new topics and discussing them with other teachers to figure out how to integrate them into the classroom can be exciting and rejuvenating. What better way to prepare for school in September than taking part in a summer study program?
Beth Borzone - Beth Borzone, a professional educator since 1995, is a budding freelance writer. She currently teaches U.S. and Global History on the high ...
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