Step into the fascinating world of espionage at Washington, D.C.'s renowned International Spy Museum, where history, technology, and global affairs intersect. This exclusive MSCSS field excursion offers participants the opportunity to explore the Museum's acclaimed permanent exhibition, featuring authentic spy artifacts, interactive displays, and compelling stories of intelligence operations that have shaped world events.

In addition to touring the Museum, attendees will participate in a special SPY Workshop led by members of the Museum's education team. Through engaging activities and inquiry-based learning, participants will examine the role of intelligence gathering, decision-making, and critical thinking in both historical and contemporary contexts while exploring connections to social studies instruction.

This excursion is available to pre-registered participants. Transportation will depart the conference hotel between 12:00 and 12:30 p.m. and return by 5:00 p.m. Attendees are responsible for purchasing their own lunch. A variety of dining options are available in the L'Enfant Plaza food court, conveniently located beneath the International Spy Museum. Participants may enjoy lunch between 12:45 and 1:30 p.m., with Museum programming and workshop activities taking place from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Whether you are intrigued by Cold War intelligence, covert operations, cybersecurity, or the role of espionage in international affairs, this unique experience offers an engaging and memorable opportunity to connect social studies content with real-world events and historical inquiry. 

Journey through millions of years of human history at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, one of the world's premier museums for scientific discovery and exploration. This unique MSCSS field excursion will focus on the Museum's acclaimed David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins, where participants will investigate the evidence scientists use to understand human evolution and the lives of our earliest ancestors.

Working alongside Smithsonian educators and experts, attendees will engage in an interdisciplinary learning experience that bridges science and social studies. Through guided exploration of the Hall of Human Origins, participants will examine fossils, archaeological discoveries, and scientific research that reveal how humans evolved and adapted over time while considering the cultural, geographic, and historical contexts of early human societies.

Participants will also take part in a special Q?rius workshop led by museum staff. This interactive session will provide hands-on opportunities to analyze evidence, explore inquiry-based learning strategies, and connect the study of human origins to classroom instruction across multiple disciplines.

This excursion is available to pre-registered participants. Transportation will depart the conference hotel between 12:00 and 12:30 p.m. and return by 5:00 p.m. Attendees are responsible for purchasing their own lunch. Lunch may be purchased in the Museum Café, with time available between 12:45 and 1:30 p.m. Program activities and workshop experiences will take place between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m.

Following the formal program, participants will have the opportunity to independently explore the Museum's additional exhibits, including world-renowned collections highlighting dinosaurs, ancient cultures, gems and minerals, ocean life, and biodiversity.

Whether your interests lie in anthropology, archaeology, biology, geography, or world history, this immersive experience offers a rare opportunity to explore what makes us human while discovering innovative ways to connect scientific inquiry and historical understanding in the classroom. 

TIME: 1:30 - 3:30 

ROOM: Palm Court

Facilitator: Kristen Barnello, Ed.D.

In this interactive two-hour clinic, elementary educators will step into the role of learners as they work together to crack codes, uncover clues, and solve an engaging escape-room challenge designed to bring civics education to life. Through this immersive experience, participants will see firsthand how curiosity, collaboration, inquiry, and problem-solving can transform civic learning into an active and meaningful experience for young students.

Following the escape room, educators will unpack the experience and explore practical ways to adapt these strategies for their own classrooms. Participants will examine how escape-room-style activities and other interactive learning experiences can help students investigate essential civic concepts, consider multiple perspectives, make connections between classroom learning and their own communities, and understand how individuals can participate in and contribute to civic life.

Throughout the clinic, educators will discover approaches for moving civics beyond memorizing facts about government and toward experiences that encourage students to ask questions, think critically, communicate ideas, work collaboratively, and apply their learning to authentic situations.

 Participants will leave with adaptable strategies, activity ideas, and inspiration for creating engaging civic learning experiences that build students’ civic knowledge and skills while empowering them to see themselves as informed, thoughtful, and engaged members of their communities.

Presented by Cengage School.  All resources used in this session are freely available to MSCSS educators through their state and local consortia.  

TIME: 1:30 - 3:30 

ROOM: TBD

The Executive Board of the MSCSS is excited to be putting the finishing touches on our upcoming Clinic for Secondary Educators. We are working thoughtfully to create an engaging, relevant, and valuable experience that will bring educators together for meaningful learning, collaboration, and fresh ideas to take back to their classrooms.

Additional details, including the program and session information, are currently being finalized and will be available by September 30, 2026. We look forward to sharing more soon and welcoming you to what promises to be an informative, energizing, and worthwhile event.