Other Events and PDs

In addition to our Annual Conferences, the NEHTA will sometimes sponsor or host other various events and professional development opportunities. Please check back often to this page to see what's coming up soon!

• The Colonial Society of Massachusetts, in collaboration with the Society of Colonial Wars, is sponsoring a three-day Summer Seminary focused on the Revolutionary Period using the Colonial Society's extensive resources, followed up with a fall one day Seminar on historical thinking and writing with a senior scholar. Designed for 5th-12th grade History and Social Studies educators, this Summer Seminar will offer Professional Development Points through the Massachusetts Council for the Social Studies as well as a stipend for each attendee who turned in a completed lesson ($1,250) and attends the fall Seminary ($250). Lessons may also be published on the Colonial Society of Massachusetts and the Society of Colonial Wars website. The deadline to apply is Monday, April 20, 2026. More details are available on the document linked here.

• The African Studies Center Education Outreach Program is pleased to invite applications from elementary teachers across the United States to apply to participate in our FREE and FUNDED Professional Development, the 2026 Teaching Africa Teacher Certificate Program for Elementary Teachers (TATCE), funded by the Longview Foundation. This free & virtual program consists of two 7-week online sessions (7 synchronous weeks in Summer 2026, 7 asynchronous weeks in Fall 2026). Teachers will gain principles, approaches, and tools to build curricula to engage their students with exciting content related to Africa.

  • In summer 2026, over the course of seven 2-hour sessions (see website for detailed schedule), teachers will have opportunities to hear from guest speakers from the continent and become familiar with a wide variety of books available to teach multiple countries and topics.

  • In Fall 2026, in partnership with the National Humanities Center, teachers will enroll in an asynchronous course titled “Teaching Africa Across the Disciplines for Elementary Teachers” during which they will finalize their curriculum unit.

  • Teachers will receive free teaching resources, documentation of 125 professional development hours in addition to Teaching Africa Teacher Certificate issued from the African Studies Center and a stipend of $800 at the completion of the curriculum.

  • The deadline to apply is Wednesday April 15th, 2026 at midnight. The program is currently open to practicing elementary teachers across the US. We especially encourage teachers from rural districts, and Midwestern and Southern states to apply. To learn more and to apply, visit their website.

• iCivics and supporting sponsors invite every 8th grade student and educator in Massachusetts to take part in the We Declare! Challenge, a dynamic opportunity to perform a dramatic reading of the document that sparked it all: The Declaration of Independence. Students record a video of their class reading from the first two paragraphs of the Declaration, adding their creative ideas with props, music, gestures, location, and more. Every submission earns a $100 gift card for the class and a chance at scholarships and an appearance at the Boston Pops July 4th Celebration. Full rules and timeline at bit.ly/we-declare-challenge. 

• The Ellsberg Initiative for Peace & Democracy, Soka Institute for Global Solutions, and the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies are hosting the 2nd annual conference on nuclear disarmament education. The conference, titled Education for Peace: A Teachers' Conference for Nuclear Disarmament Education will take place in Cambridge, MA during the weekend of April 25-26, with an optional dinner on Friday, April 24.

  • The weekend-long (free) conference seeks to bring together and empower middle and high school teachers to explore effective ways to teach students about threats and historical legacies of nuclear weapons and instill in them a deep sense of shared responsibility and commitment to safeguarding the future of humanity's peaceful existence. You can find out more details and the application on their website, including a write-upon last-year's conference.

  • If you are interested, they are now accepting applications for the conference via their website. DON'T DELAY, ONLY A FEW SPOTS REMAIN!

• The next New England Quarterly symposium will be held in Boston on September 18, 2026. The topic is "Environmental Histories of New England, 1600-2025," and the full description can be found on the NEQ website. They currently have a call for papers, so be sure to check out the full details by clicking here.

• SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: A BOOK CLUB FOR EDUCATORS ON BOOKS RELATED TO AMERICA 250 [Sponsored By: The Association for the Study of Connecticut History (ASCH) and the New England History Teachers Association (NEHTA)]

  • The ASCH and the NEHTA will be sponsoring a book-study program related to America250 themes; the series will begin in the upcoming fall and continue until July of 2026. This series will be designed for teachers, high school and university students, and all others who are interested in analyzing the time period of the American Revolution and the creation of the Constitution.

  • These sessions will focus on topics such as the principles of the Declaration of Independence, the role of Indigenous peoples, women and Blacks in the era of the American Revolution, and the impact of the principles of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution over time. We will be reading and analyzing recent scholarship on these topics. Sessions will be led by scholars and others deeply knowledgeable about the topics being discussed. Each meeting will be highly interactive; we want to create “book discussions” rather than “book talks.”

  • We sincerely hope that you will be part of our book series! You are invited to attend one or all of these sessions.

  • Schedule:

    • October 14, Tuesday: The Boston Massacre, A Family History by Serena Zabin

    • December 4, Thursday: Liberty Is Sweet: The Hidden History of the American Revolution by Woody Holton

    • January 29, Thursday: The Long American Revolution and Its Legacy by Lester D. Langley

    • March 19. Thursday: The Memory of ‘76: The Revolution in American History by Michael D. Hattem

    • May 7, Thursday: Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality by Danielle Allen

  • How to Sign Up: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-1776-book-club-tickets-1652737013899?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp

  • For additional information please click here and/or contact Stephen Armstrong: stevearmstrong512@gmail.com

• The Colonial Society of Massachusetts is currently accepting applications for their upcoming summer seminar on Using Colonial Society Sources in Early American History. It will run from June 24-26 and the deadline to apply is April 28. Please see the following document for more details: Summer Seminar 2025 Info

• September 12, 2024 - The NEHTA highly recommends a few upcoming workshops for social studies teachers...

Mary Beth Norton - 1774 and All That:  Reflections on a Long Year of Revolution

September 19, 2024 - 7 p.m. @ The Concord Museum

Sponsor:  The Society of Colonial Wars and The Colonial Society

Coordinator:  Charlie Newhall

Cost = FREE! For more info, see:  https://concordmuseum.org/event/1774-and-all-that/

Followed by:

Teaching Historical Thinking and Research Skills in the Classroom

Educator History Workshop with Mary Beth Norton

September 20, 2024 - 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. @ The Colonial Society of Massachusetts, Beacon Hill, Boston

Sponsor:  The Society of Colonial Wars and The Colonial Society

Coordinators:  Charlie Newhall and Gorman Lee

Cost = FREE! For more info, contact:  Charlie Newhall CLNewhall@gmail.com

Massachusetts Provincial Congress:  Exploring Democracy - Our Rights and Our Responsibilities

October 11, 2024, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. @ First Parish Concord and the Wright Tavern

For more info, contact:  Tom@WrightTavern.org

Organized by Bob Gross (The Minutemen and Their World and The Transcendentalists historian) and with keynote speaker Woody Holton - one of the best Revolution era historians)

https://www.masscouncil.org/come-to-the-2024-massachusetts-provincial-congress-on-october-11th-concord-ma/

• March 28, 2024 - NEHTA is proud to help promote and co-sponsor some upcoming webinars on the Chagos Islands. Please see the following flyers for more details: Webinar Series Flyer and Webinar #3 Flyer

• March 11, 2024 - The USS Massachusetts Commissioning Committee has a great opportunity for middle and high school social studies students. Please see their message below for more details...

Dear Massachusetts Middle and High School Teachers,

We are reaching out to you on behalf of the USS MASSACHUSETTS Commissioning Committee, with an exciting opportunity for your students to engage in a unique educational experience centered around Massachusetts history and its significant role in the development of the United States Navy.

The USS MASSACHUSETTS naval submarine is scheduled for commissioning in 2025, marking a historic moment for our state and our nation. To celebrate this occasion, the Commissioning Committee is organizing an essay contest for middle and high school students across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

We invite you to encourage your students to research and write an essay on a chosen event in Massachusetts history or an aspect of the role of Massachusetts in the development of the United States Navy. The essay can focus on an individual, an event or moment, a specific ship, a policy, or a place at a particular historical time.

Twelve winners will be selected, and they will have the unique opportunity to be invited to the commissioning ceremony in Boston, MA. Additionally, their essays will be framed and permanently installed within the submarine, creating a lasting legacy. Winners will also be invited to the post-reception ceremony to celebrate their achievements.

The deadline for essay submissions is June 15, 2024. More details, including submission guidelines, can be found on our website at https://www.ussmassachusetts.org/essay. We encourage you to share this information with your students, inspiring them to explore the rich history of Massachusetts and the vital role it played in shaping the U.S. Navy.

Thank you for your support in promoting this educational opportunity. We look forward to receiving insightful and creative essays from your students.

Best regards,

USS MASSACHUSETTS Commissioning Committee