Miami Valley Teaching American History Project

Teachers of grades 5, 8, 9, 10, and 12 receive professional development in this project, which partners with Wright State University, Greater Dayton Public Television, Montgomery County Historical Society, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park, the U.S. Air Force Museum, and the National Afro American Museum. The focus is on four historical themes: the meaning of freedom (colonial period to the present, including the story of the Underground Railroad); taking a stand in history (a National History Day that highlights stories of individuals and groups throughout history); encounter, exploration, and exchange (a National History Day theme that encourages examination of encounters and exchanges among peoples and cultures); and making progress (analyzes the meaning of progress in regional and national history). These themes are presented in summer institutes-year 1, Making Progress: Living and Working in Ohio's Miami Valley, 1890-1929; year 2, Biography in American History; year 3, the Meaning of Freedom.