Opelika City Schools is partnering with Auburn City Schools, Auburn University and the Museum of East Alabama to establish the "American Heritage Academy" to serve 102 teachers of Alabama State History, U.S. History and U.S. Government and Economics within the Opelika and Auburn school districts. The Academy will be a "learning network" bringing together local and national experts in two main areas: content knowledge to increase teacher's knowledge of American History; and pedagogical knowledge and methods for making American History exciting and engaging for the more than 7,400 students served. Teachers will participate in a series of professional development workshops and trips based upon Best Practice Standards that support the Alabama Core Curriculum. These workshops and trips will be led by American History and Education professors, master K-12 teachers, and local historians whose expertise range from the fields of 20th Century U.S. History and Southern History to the Civil Rights Movement and African American History. Teacher participants will be given a wide array of educational materials, support services including a program website, and peer mentoring opportunities to enhance their learning experience.

This professional development effort designed to boost student achievement in American history and increase teacher knowledge, confidence, teaching skills, and classroom management-will provide U.S. history teachers in grades 5-7 and 10-12 with staff development, experiential learning, and professional collaboration. Partners include Peabody College at Vanderbilt University, Athens State University, University of Alabama in Huntsville, University of North Alabama, and the American Village, a living history museum. Participants will make extended trips to sites illustrating historical periods and develop lessons based on visits. Site-based content addresses: the beginning of American history; war, death, and the gateway to the West; and Virginia's historic triangle to the heart of the nation.

This project partners Calhoun County System with Jacksonville State University, the Anniston Museum of Natural History and the Berman Museum of World History. Eighteen teachers of American history will be chosen to participate in ongoing professional development activities for 124 contact hours during each project year. Activities include workshops during the school year, summer institutes, the development of teaching materials and strategies (including some that are web based), and using technology to access information and original documents. Participants will also have opportunities to travel together on guided seminars to places of historical interest and significance. The participants will coach and mentor peers and present workshops at the university’s In-Service Education Center, professional conferences, and their own schools.