Will Fitzhugh, via a kind email

Over the past four years, The Concord Review Summer Programs have provided academic expository writing instruction in preparing serious academic History research papers of their own for 79 secondary students, from China, the Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand, and from nine American states.

Some History teachers completed their college degrees and teacher preparation without ever having written a serious History research paper of their own. For others it has been a while since they did some historical research. One reason not many History term papers are assigned in American high schools is that many teachers either do not have the experience or the confidence to provide students with the preparation in nonfiction reading and academic expository writing they need to write such papers.

The TCR Academy Pilot will ask twelve secondary teachers of History to test a model for having teachers work on serious (e.g. 6,000-word) History research papers over a two-week program. There will be an assignment before the program and the participants may work to finish their paper after the program.

We are in the process of seeking a grant to cover the $5,000 stipend for each participant. If the grant is not provided, we will rely on the Professional Development funds available for programs like this.

Just as teachers who go on Outward Bound courses, and then on their return urge students and colleagues to go on one, it is our hope that teachers coming from a serious effort in the TCR Academy on a History research paper of their own will be more likely to ask their students to work on one when they return to their classroom.

Those interested should contact Will Fitzhugh, Founder and Editor, The Concord Review, at fitzhugh@tcr.org