A250 Summer Teacher Seminar
America’s First Principles: Exploring the Declaration, the War, and the Constitution
Image: A View of Part of the Town of Boston in New-England and British Ships of War Landing Their Troops 1768 by Paul Revere, Boston, 1770 (The Gilder Lehrman Institute)
America's First Principles is a multi-year seminar series designed to reinvest in civics education and deepen engagement with the nation’s founding principles. Over three consecutive years, this seminar will give K-12 teachers the tools they need to teach about the events leading up to the Declaration of Independence, the struggle of the Revolutionary War, and the promise of the American experiment embodied in the Constitution.
2026: The Declaration of Independence
The 2026 seminar will focus on the moment it all began: the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. Participants will examine the causes and context of independence, the writing and publication of the Declaration, and the ways in which its promises have been interpreted and debated through the centuries.
Each day will combine lectures from master educators, hands-on engagement with primary documents, and afternoon workshops on classroom application, including podcasting as an innovative way to bring student voice and civic engagement into the study of history. By the end of the week, participants will leave with both renewed knowledge of the founding era and practical tools to bring these lessons to life for their students.
The seminar is organized by the SMU Center for Presidential History, will run from June 14th-19th, 2026, and will be held at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX.
The seminar will be open to up to 20 local teachers from the DFW metro area and 80 teachers from across the United States. Acceptance includes a travel stipend, room and board, and participation in all events.
Applications are due March 6.
If you have any questions, please contact seminar coordinator Dr. Kaete O'Connell at kmoconnell@mail.smu.edu.