Multimedia: Lewis & Clark leads initiative to improve American history education in Oregon

In today’s classrooms, as teachers face demands to reach education standards in literacy and math, the teaching of American history often gets short shrift. Accordingly, very few opportunities for professional development exist for history and social studies teachers.

To address this discrepancy, Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling has partnered with Central Oregon’s High Desert School District to help 150 elementary, middle, and high school teachers hone their skills in teaching American history.

The five-year grant totaling close to $1 million from the Department of Education supports weekend workshops for teachers in rural communities that span more than 6,000 square miles.

In this video, Bill Rexford MAT ’92, the director for the grant and a social studies teacher in the district, describes the project and explains why it works.

“This grant will allow us to work together and create that network of support that is needed for continuous improvement,” said Rexford. “Teachers will have better lesson plans and the confidence that they will always have the skills necessary to better their performance after participating in this grant. They will be taught skills, content, and have a learning community to support them.”