New England History Teachers Association

Welcome to the online home of the New England History Teachers Association (NEHTA). Founded in 1897, the NEHTA is the nation's oldest association of history and social studies teachers. Explore our website for more information on our organization and various resources for teaching social studies. Visit us often to stay informed on the latest in both history and education. 

The NEHTA supports the recent statement from the OAH as they spoke out against the removal of the Freedom and Slavery in the Making of the Nation exhibit at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. We firmly stand beside the OAH in helping to continue advocating against the censorship of history and defending the integrity of historical interpretation. The full statement from the OAH can be read here.

The NEHTA supports the recent statement from the OAH as they offered criticism of the executive order "Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling." We firmly stand beside the OAH, AHA, and numerous other member societies and institutions in helping to continue advocating for the importance of a diverse history education. The full statement from the OAH can be read here.

The NEHTA supports the OAH and the AHA as they criticized the incorrect application of historical knowledge on abortion in the determination of Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization. As purveyors of history education, we must support the use of historical information in an accurate manner and engage in activities that hold accountable organizations who choose to sidestep facts even in the highest offices of our government.

On June 24, 2022, in the case of Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution does not confer the right to abortion, overturning nearly 50 years of precedent established by both Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey (1992).

On Thursday, July 7th, OAH held a webinar examining the Dobbs v. Jackson decision in historical perspective. Erika Lee, OAH President and University of Minnesota, hosted guests Gillian Frank, cohost of Sexing History, Felicia Kornbluh, University of Vermont, and Stacie Taranto, Ramapo College of New Jersey, in a conversation about the history leading to Dobbs and how the ruling could potentially impact other past SCOTUS decisions. The video is available here and the full joint statement from the OAH and AHA can be read here.

2026 UPDATES

• 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.

ARCHIVE OF NEWS & UPDATES