Teaching American History with a Florida Flavor
The district will partner with The Center for Florida History at Florida Southern College, Miles College, Polk County Historical Society, and The Ledger (daily newspaper affiliate of the New York Times) to enhance teacher knowledge of U.S. history and improve history teaching skills. A Teacher-in-Residence will assist access to resources, help plan 6-day summer immersion seminars for 30 participants per year, and facilitate an oral history project for students and teachers. The summer seminars involve site visits illustrating civil rights activism, Civil War battles, Native American history, colonial settlements, the Industrial Revolution and Progressive Era, and modern high-technology. Collaborations with Polk Education Foundation, Daughters of the American Revolution, and History Alive! offer grant opportunities, best practices learning, school competitions, and research-based teaching strategies. Each year, 60 elementary and secondary teachers will attend History Alive! training sessions.
