Program Links
Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute
Fifth-Grade Teacher Institute Dates:
June 4-10, 2023
Eighth-Grade Teacher Institute Dates:
June 11-17, 2023
The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence administers grants for Oklahoma fifth- and eighth-grade teachers to attend the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute each summer in the restored capital city of 18th-century Virginia.
Program participants have the opportunity to:
- Explore Colonial Williamsburg – the world’s largest living history museum – and nearby Jamestown and Yorktown
- Meet character interpreters of 18th-century people
- Enjoy immersive experiences throughout the Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area
- Learn primary source-centered, standards-based historical content
- Collaborate daily with a Master Teacher and fellow educators to discuss interactive teaching techniques
Applications are due by 5 p.m. Wednesday, February 1, 2023.
The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has coordinated Oklahoma’s participation in the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute since 1993, thanks to the leadership and support of the late Oklahoma City businessman Edward C. Joullian III — a former board member of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. The Joullian family continues to support the program along with a loyal group of donors.
For more information, contact the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence at (405) 236-0006 or email bwheelock@ofe.org.
Program Information and Requirements
- Oklahoma fifth-grade social studies/history teachers and resource teachers, such as librarians or gifted/talented teachers, who plan to teach U.S. history in their schools
- Oklahoma eighth-grade classroom teachers who teach U.S. history as part of their social studies curriculum.
- The program is open to public and private school educators
- Past recipients of Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute fellowships are not eligible to apply
- Round-trip airfare and room and board (teachers are responsible for three meals)
- All program activities
- $300 stipend for purchasing classroom materials
- Access to Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Resource Library
This participatory, interactive, interdisciplinary Institute requires the mental and physical endurance for 13- to 14-hour days in a hot, humid climate. Participants are required to:
- Attend the entire six-day institute and work together as a team, participating fully in all activities
- Present two workshops or in-service programs for fellow teachers in the school year following attendance at the Teacher Institute
- Provide Colonial Williamsburg with one lesson plan using content and techniques learned at Williamsburg
- Pay a $35 fee to Colonial Williamsburg at the time of program registration
- Be fully COVID-19 vaccinated prior to the Teacher Institute and be willing to follow the Teacher Institute’s requirements for COVID-19 based on CDC guidelines
