Summer 2021: Presidential Primary Sources Project, Truman and Clinton Presidential Libraries Present Free Teacher Professional Development Workshops

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

By Therese Perlowski, Program Manager, Internet2 Community Anchor Program

The Presidential Primary Sources Project is teaming up with the Truman and Clinton Presidential Libraries to host free professional development workshops for teachers this summer. The Intersections of Injustice Institute workshop will take place June 21-25, 2021, and the Presidents and the Constitutions workshop will take place from July 12-16, 2021. These two professional development opportunities will present teachers with tools and primary sources to help them navigate historical themes in their curriculum.

Intersections of Injustice Institute Workshop

Dates: June 21-25, 2021
Proposed daily schedule: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (Central Time)
Method: Online via Zoom, hosted by Internet2
Cost: Free
Registration

The Intersections of Injustice Institute draws inspiration from the Anne Frank Tree installation on the grounds of the Clinton Presidential Library.

Presenters will explore presidential actions related to Native American removal, World War II, and the modern civil rights movement through a variety of primary source materials. In addition, participants will be introduced to President Clinton’s efforts to acknowledge historic injustices and address their complicated legacies.

Teachers will learn from and interact with presenters from the following workshop partners, including Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, the Sequoyah National Research Center, the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, Roosevelt Presidential Library, Truman Presidential Library, and the Eisenhower Presidential Library.

Presidents and the Constitution Workshop

Dates: July 12-16, 2021
Proposed daily schedule: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (Central Time)
Method: Online via Zoom, hosted by Internet2
Cost: Free
Registration

Presidents and the Constitution is a week-long online workshop for teachers focused on how a variety of presidents have encountered and molded the Constitution. Each occupant of the office – from the first President to the 45th – has contributed to the story of the Constitution through the decisions he made and the actions he took as the nation’s chief executive.

By examining presidential history through the lens of constitutional crises and confrontations, the Presidents and the Constitution Workshop offers a fresh viewpoint on how the Constitution has evolved in the hands of individual presidents. Presenters from 10 presidential libraries will each share how their president made decisions with the Constitution in mind, how it helped them, and how it hindered them.

Teaching activities will be shared throughout the week and there will be a number of interactive sessions for teachers to participate in. Presenters for this workshop include the Hoover Library, FDR Library, Truman Library, Johnson Library, Nixon Library, Carter Library, Reagan Library, George W. Bush Library, George H.W. Bush Library, and Clinton Library.