Summer Teacher Institutes

Apply Here by March 12th, 2023

The Idaho Humanities Council is hosting our annual week-long summer teacher institute July 24-28^th, 2023 at the University of Idaho. The theme for 2023 is An Environment of Hope: Reimagining the Humanities in the 6-12 Classroom. For the first time since 2005, the 2023 institute will be held in Moscow. After many years of being held at the College of Idaho, the institute will be held in a different region each year to improve accessibility for all Idaho teachers.

The humanities offer us an opportunity to understand the past in order to reshape the future. We live during a time of tremendous environmental challenges that impact every region of our state, all of our lives and the living world. This historic moment requires not only economic, scientific, educational and technological interventions, but a deeper understanding of what it means to be human to help us tackle these challenges and rapidly chart new ways forward. The humanities disciplines—literature, history, philosophy, religion, sociology, and more—have developed many theoretical and practical approaches to illuminate the complex human relationships to the planet and help us understand the reasons for and implications of our behavior and cultural structures.

• Why do we continue to pollute when we understand that such behavior contributes to global climate change?
• What kinds of responses to climate change and other forms of environmental degradation are occurring and how can cultural texts—films, literature, music—help us to react?
• What are the historical reasons for unequal access to natural resources and unequal exposure to environmental risk?

This institute will explore these and other questions using a variety of cutting-edge approaches to the environmental humanities. The goal of this institute is to empower teachers with knowledge, tools and resources, and connections with teachers across the state in a variety of grades and disciplines. All participants will be immersed in the study of the humanities. We open the week to 30-40 teachers and provide all expenses – room, board, texts and materials, and a $250 travel stipend. We seek applicants from every region of the state and select participants to provide a balance in region, disciplines taught, grade levels taught, gender, and a mix of new participants with veteran institute participants. Teachers have the option to register for continuing education credits.

Participating scholars include Terry Tempest Williams, CMarie Fuhrman of Western Colorado University and Idaho Writer in Residence, Dr. Scott Slovic from the University of Idaho, Dr. Shelley McEuen-Howard from the College of Southern Idaho, Dr. TS McMillin of Oberlin College, Dr. Sara Dant from Weber State College, Dr. Sarah McFarland Taylor from Northwestern University, Dr. Priscilla Ybarra from the University of North Texas, and Stephen Siperstein from Choate Rosemary Hall.

This institute is made possible by the Endowment for Humanities Education and the National Endowment for the Humanities and a grant from the Idaho Courts Community Outreach program.