The Alpine School District Teaching American History project is a collaboration between Alpine School District (ASD), Brigham Young University (BYU), National Archives, Project Citizen, University of Utah (UU), Utah Historical Society, Utah History Fair, and Utah State University (USU).

One cohort of teachers each year for three years will attend monthly inservice seminars and a summer institute that feature historical content and teaching strategies that provide a framework for student understanding.  Up to fifty teachers each year will be chosen from 4th, 5th, 8th, 11th and 12th grade teachers in the district.  Potentially all of Alpine School District’s 55,000 students will be directly impacted by the project.

The Teaching American History mission is to raise student achievement by improving teachers’ knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of traditional American history.   Centered on this mission, four goals have been established:

Goal 1.  Increase teachers’ American history knowledge, understanding, and interest.

Goal 2. Increase teacher’s use of appropriate and recommended pedagogical skills and practices.

Goal 3.  Increase students’ American history interest, participation, and achievement.

Goal 4. Create a “community of historians” comprised of teachers and students actively engaged in historical inquiry.