Summer Institutes for Teachers

What are you doing this summer? 

Well, it’s finally March.  Spring break and the end of the school year are not far behind.  It is time to think about summer. While we can all agree that teachers deserve some vacation time and need to reconnect with family or head to the beach, you need to think about your future as a professional educator. Your formal education does not stop on the day you are handed your degree and teaching certification. Teachers must always continue the process of becoming a better and more effective teacher. To that end it is time to take a look at the wide variety of summer programs available for teachers. The choices are limitless. There are programs both here in the US as well as overseas. Some will grant you graduate credit, possibly necessary for a pay raise.  Others will be required for ongoing professional development hours mandated by your state.

A number of the programs provide stipends and reimbursement for travel. For others, you will have to foot the bill. Check with your tax preparer to see if any of these expenses are deductible.  Many programs are sponsored by colleges and universities. So check with those in your area to see if summer programs are available and in what academic areas.

There are several caveats for you to consider as you start your search.

1)      Many of the programs have a competitive application process. You may need to demonstrate your need/ desire to participate in a specific program. (e.g., write an essay, obtain letters of recommendation from administrators, etc.)

2)       Many of the programs have deadlines that are coming up soon. Some had a March 1^st deadline.

3)      Check with your school district and see if you qualify for any professional development funds. A number of these programs require travel and lodging that you must pay for. Programs that offer graduate credit may charge an additional amount per credit for tuition.

4)      How will your students benefit? How will you benefit?

A number of years ago I attended an excellent summer program for school counselors at Lyndon State College in Vermont. I took a morning and afternoon class lamenting that I could not take advantage of the weather and beautiful sights in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. I returned the following summer and only took a morning class, giving me ample leisure time in the afternoons. Keep these things in mind while planning.

Here are just a few programs. There are hundreds more.

http://www.neh.gov/projects/si-school.html- National Endowment for the Humanities

http://www.streetlaw.org/en/Program.10.aspx US Supreme Court Summer Institute for Teachers

http://www.exploratorium.edu/teacher_institute/summer/  Summer Institutes for Science Teachers

http://www.gilderlehrman.org/education/seminar_overview.php (summer programs for history teachers in NYC)

http://tc.readingandwritingproject.com/institutes/tc-summer-institutes.html (Reading and Writing- Teachers College)

Please feel free to share any experiences with summer programs that you have had and any recommendations for outstanding summer workshops, courses, or travel/learning programs.