Colonial Williamsburg
Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute
Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute
Earn your TRAILS professional development hours the Colonial way—by joining these engaging, free, live workshops from The Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute! Register for each event below, attend, and receive a certificate to email to Dr. Rebecca Roach at Rebecca.Roach@uswep.org . Your hours will be credited as “Optional Activities” at the end of the project year. Check the project invoice for stipend details. Once you've registered, check your email for confirmation with the Zoom link and passcode.
Contact and Conflict: The English and Powhatan
October 2, 2025 | 7:00PM ET
Explore the complex relationship between the Powhatan and the English at Jamestown with guest speaker Mark Summers from Preservation Virginia. This session includes a presentation and primary source activity to bring this history to life in your classroom. Participants earn 1 professional development hour.
Historians at Work: The 250th Anniversary of Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation
October 21, 2025 | 7:00PM ET
Explore the paradox of freedom and slavery in the American Revolution with historian Dr. Derek Litvak of Colonial Williamsburg. Marking the 250th anniversary of Dunmore’s Proclamation, this online program from the Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute examines its significance and the broader story of freedom and slavery. A Q&A will follow. Participants earn 1 professional development hour.
Meet a Person From the Past: George Wythe
November 4, 2025 | 7:00PM ET
Meet George Wythe through Robert Weathers of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, who researches and portrays Wythe as a Nation Builder. Discover how Enlightenment ideals shaped his views on government, his influence on Jefferson, and his role in early American thought. Participants earn 1 professional development hour.
In the summer of 2026, 10 TRAILS participants will receive financial support to attend the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute Program. In order to receive the TRAILS scholarship, you must first apply through Wilderness Education Project. Once approved by TRAILS, you will also be required to apply through Colonial Williamsburg using their application.
Onsite Teacher Institute participants are immersed in an authentic, inclusive, engaging learning environment and have an opportunity to exchange ideas with historians, meet character interpreters portraying people of the past, analyze primary sources, participate in historical simulations, and learn museum techniques that actively engage students in history.
Each scholarship includes:
Admission to all programs
Educational resource materials, including primary sources, lesson plans, and digital media
Double occupancy room (there is an option to pay for a private room)
Most meals
Most scholarships include airfare and ground transportation to Williamsburg. Travel arrangements will be confirmed at the time of scholarship acceptance.
Click here for more information.
This free resource library includes lesson materials, primary sources, multimedia content, lesson plans, and additional materials for use by teachers, students, and scholars of all ages.