This four-week Summer Institute will bring together 28 teachers to examine the Lewis and Clark Expedition within a multitude of contexts and perspectives. The institute will combine four weeks of topical study led by major historians with overnight visits to some of the most beautiful and historically important sites of the expedition. Each week prominent historians will teach on major themes, including the European background of conquest and exploration, Thomas Jefferson's vision of America, the complex native world and its interactions with outsiders before the expedition, and the cultural and environmental legacies of the expedition. Two master teachers will guide participants in curriculum workshops intended to enable them to translate what they have learned into lesson plans, activities, and teaching materials suitable for use in their classrooms. Minot State history faculty will assist participants with the latest technology to design state-of-the-art curricular materials.

Faculty
The institute faculty include Professors Patricia Seed (Rice University), Peter Onuf (University of Virginia), Theresa Schenck (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Jennifer S.H. Brown (University of Winnipeg), and Elliott West (University of Arkansas). Dr. David Kobrin (Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia) and Robert Taylor (Viewpoint School, Calabasas, California) are institute's master teachers. Additional faculty support will come from Minot State University history faculty.

Eligibility
We expect the institute to be especially valuable for middle and high school teachers, but also encourage teachers from all grades (K-12) to apply. Accordingly, participation is limited to full time employees of K-12 schools in the United States or its territorial possessions, or Americans teaching in foreign schools where at least 50% of the students are American nationals. Applicants must be US citizens, residents of US jurisdictions, or foreign nationals who have resided in the US or its territories for at least three years immediately preceding the application deadline.

Stipend
Participants will receive a stipend of $2,800, provided by the NEH, to help cover transportation and institute expenses.

Application Deadline: (postmarked) March 1, 2003