The Presidential Academy for American History and Civics leads secondary school teachers in a careful study of the pivotal turning points in American history memorialized by the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, and the "I Have a Dream" speech. Each year, 50 teachers—one from each state—spend five days in Philadelphia, six days in Gettysburg and six days in Washington, D.C., studying the American Revolution and Founding, the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement, respectively. During their stay in each of these cities, participants are surrounded by the streets and halls, the battlefields, public places and private lodgings where the history they study took place. The Academy encourages teachers to enter into the debates, the ideas, and the arguments that shaped these three great American epochs while giving life to the great documents—those distinctly American poems—that uncover our history and the places where the history was made.

The excellent faculty teaching in the Presidential Academy hail from colleges and universities across the nation. Dr. Lucas Morel, Washington and Lee University, is the main instructor and academic director for the Academy. Among the faculty are two Pulitzer Prize winning authors, including Dr. James McPherson, Princeton University, who has written numerous books on the Civil War. Dr. McPherson leads teachers on an unforgettable tour of the Gettysburg battlefield.

Beginning with three documents, teachers in the Presidential Academy study the three fundamental ideas that shaped and continue to shape our national identity, our public institutions, and our public discourse. Participants join in a conversation across time about the most important issues facing America in 1776, 1863, 1963 and today—a conversation these teachers become better equipped to continue with their own students.

The Presidential Academy is funded by a grant from the U. S. Department of Education. Teachers participating in the Academy may receive graduate credit in the new Master of American History and Government degree program.

To learn more about the program, please visit www.PresidentialAcademy.org.