Learning is a Lifelong Journey - Let Us Join You.
You strive to be an educator who inspires students. But who and what inspire you? The Kentucky Historical Society offers a variety of workshops-both virtual and in-person, the annual Kentucky History Education Conference, and more for K-12 teachers.
These educator professional learning opportunities strive to make social studies education accessible and relevant by combining our vast historical collections with inquiry-based, participatory learning strategies to help make your students active and informed citizens.
We also put you in touch with a network of other teachers, public history professionals, and volunteers focused on increasing content knowledge, sharpening skills, sparking creativity, and positively impacting students’ – and all Kentuckians’ – experiences with history.
KHS/KCSS 2024 Conference
KHS and the Kentucky Council for the Social Studies (KCSS) are joining together July 11 & 12, 2024 at KHS for a conference to rejuvenate your teaching strategies and collaborate with others in social studies education.
July 11, 2024 - Pre-conference Programming Presented by KHS Staff
Pre-conference Programming Presented by KHS Staff
Kentucky teachers are invited to join Kentucky Historical Society staff for three workshops offered at NO COST. These workshops will provide teachers with practical strategies for incorporating inquiry and project-based learning, honing students’ historical thinking and literacy skills, and increasing content knowledge of Kentucky history. Space is limited, so registration is strongly recommended.
10:00 a.m. ET - Primary Source Research Resources
Looking for primary source material to use in your lessons? We’ve got you covered! Join KHS's Digital Archivist, Alyssa Ollier, for a walkthrough of the KHS Digital Collections and other online resources available. KHS makes Kentucky history free and accessible to the public and utilizes technology available in most classrooms. Prefer analog to digital? No worries—Alyssa will also display some physical archival materials to demonstrate the power of primary sources!
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1:00 pm ET - Says Who? Using Historical Markers to Inspire Inquiry in the Classroom
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the state's Historical Marker Program. Today, over 2,400 historical markers span the Commonwealth. How can K-12 teachers use these markers as a jumping-off point for students to investigate the claims on the historical markers in their areas? Have our interpretations of these events or the information available changed since the marker was erected? What might a new marker about this topic look like if one were created today? This workshop will provide educators with the resources necessary to guide students through inquiry-based state and local history projects in their classrooms. The session will be led by Dr. James Seaver, Community Engagement Coordinator.
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2:30 pm ET - Civil War Governors of Kentucky in the Classroom
Since 2012, the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition (CWGK) at the Kentucky Historical Society has transcribed, edited, and uploaded nearly 10,000 documents relating to Kentucky history during the Civil War. While a valuable archive for genealogists and academic researchers, CWGK also has potential in Kentucky classrooms, helping to illuminate Kentucky’s history as a border state with contested and conflicting loyalties. This workshop will introduce educators to the CWGK project and how primary sources from the digital archive can be incorporated into the classroom, situating local and state histories within broader national narratives. The session will be led by Dr. Brian Trump, Civil War Governors of Kentucky Editorial Specialist.
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Additional Offerings – Separate Registration Required
5:30 pm ET - Tipsy Town Tales Walking Tour
This ain’t your average walking tour! Sip and stroll across Downtown Frankfort as we regale you with local tales of drunkenness and debauchery, corruption, and criminal activity – stories not safe for history textbooks! You can taste the history too, with special drinks available for purchase when we stop in at some local pubs.
Must be of legal drinking age to participate.
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National History Day Training - On Waitlist
Join us at the Kentucky Historical Society for a full-day workshop on National History Day. You will have the opportunity to attend sessions led by Kentucky scholars that cover topics such as breaking down the theme and brainstorming ideas, as well as an expert session on NHD. There will also be category-specific tips and tricks session, and you will get to evaluate student projects as if you were a judge.
This workshop is capped at 30 teachers, each receiving a $100 stipend.
This workshop is currently sold out. Please email khseducation@ky.gov to be added to the waitlist.
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Public Tours
Tours are included with regular museum admission and do not require registration.
1:00 - Kentucky Military History Museum
2:00 - Old State Capitol
3:00 - A Kentucky Journey at the Kentucky History Center
July 12, 2024 - Conference Registration
Vendor Registration
Teacher Workshops
KHS offers a diverse array of high-quality professional learning for Kentucky’s K-12 educators. We frequently partner with local and national organizations to provide relevant professional learning opportunities related to Social Studies (civics, economics, geography, and history) and the Humanities and Language Arts. All workshops connect to the latest Kentucky Academic Standards. Opportunities include full and partial-day workshops (held onsite and online) and premier events such as our annual Kentucky History Education Conference.
NHD Kentucky Summer Workshop
July 11, 2024, 10:00 am – 4:30 pm ET (Day before the KHS/KCSS Conference)
Join us at the Kentucky Historical Society for a full-day workshop on National History Day. You will have the opportunity to attend sessions led by Kentucky scholars that cover topics such as breaking down the theme and brainstorming ideas, as well as an expert session on NHD (to be determined). There will also be category-specific tips and tricks sessions, and you will get to evaluate student projects as if you were a judge. We look forward to seeing you there!
This workshop is capped at 30 teachers, each of whom will receive a $100 stipend.
This workshop is currently sold out. Please email khseducation@ky.gov to be added to the waitlist.
Inquiry and Literacy in the Social Studies Classroom
July 23, 2024, 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Kentucky Historical Society
100 W. Broadway, Frankfort, KY 40601
Promoting inquiry and improving literacy without sacrificing content seems like an impossible task. Document Based Questions (DBQs) makes it all very possible! For two decades, The DBQ Project has helped students of all ability levels and ages to think critically with inquiry-based units that mirror the type of evidence-based writing and synthesis required in the SAT and AP exams. Led by DBQ Project team members, this lively one-day workshop will provide instructional strategies and intensive modeling on historical thinking skills, argumentative writing, and how to scaffold DBQs for students with various abilities. Special emphasis will be dedicated to the Kentucky Document Collections, a fantastic resource for digital primary sources collected by the Kentucky Historical Society. By the program's end, you'll be well-prepared to craft dynamic, inquiry-driven classrooms.
Cost: $25
Includes lunch, lesson sample, and a chance to pilot DBQ Project's award winning platform DBQ Online.
Professional Learning Cancellation Policy
Refunds will be made up to the registration deadline. Refund requests must be made in writing and directed to KHS Education. Any cancellations after the registration deadline or no-shows on the day of the event will be charged the full amount.
Other Cancellation Policies
We may consider emergency circumstances for cancellations, but you must contact the event coordinator within a week of the event date.
KHS also reserves the right to cancel a program at any time. In the event of such a cancellation, participants will receive a full registration refund. KHS is not responsible for any expenses, travel, or otherwise, that participants incur due to participation in or cancellation of a program unless otherwise noted.
Inclement Weather Policy
If you have registered for a KHS workshop and traveling may be hazardous the day of the event, please use your own judgment when deciding to attend. Those who cannot attend because of inclement weather should contact the event coordinator. Refund decisions will be made on an individual basis.
Bring Teacher Workshops to Your District!
Choose from one of the Kentucky Historical Society's teacher professional development opportunities. Bring an expert to your district to conduct the workshop or tune in virtually for a presentation.
Engaging with Kentucky's Past: An Overview of KHS Resources & Programs
Time: 60 minutes
Cost: FREE
How can the Kentucky Historical Society help teach Kentucky history? This session is an introduction to our portfolio of education resources and programs. Learn about the programs KHS offers for students in the classroom, virtually, and at the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort. Resources for educators will be provided along with activity and research demonstrations.
Navigating National History Day in Kentucky
Time: 60 minutes
Cost: FREE
Are you ready to participate in National History Day in Kentucky (NHDKy)? Join the NHDKy Coordinator for a session that will help you and your students navigate the steps to competing in a National History Day contest. Learn how to guide students through choosing a topic based on the annual theme. developing historical thinking skills, and creating a project in one of the five NHD categories.
Using Visual Thinking Strategies & KHS Resources in the Classroom
Time: 60-90 Minutes
Cost: In-person: $200; Virtual: $75
Learn how KHS uses Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) to teach art-infused history lessons that improve students' visual literacy, historical literacy, and critical thinking skills. We'll demonstrate how VTS is included in our portfolio of educational programs and provide helpful tips for designing a VTS implementation strategy for your classroom. We'll also explore KHS'd research library and digital collections to find resources.
Reconstruction & Redemption in Kentucky
Time: 60 Minutes
Cost: In-person: $200; Virtual: $75
During the Reconstruction period following the Civil War, the United States attempted to re-integrate the former Confederate States while also protecting newly freed African Americans. Following a prolonged period of political violence perpetrated by former Confederates against Southern Blacks and their white allies, in 1877, the government eventually abandoned Reconstruction's loftier goals, content to allow the formerly enslaved to be all but re-enslaved in exchange for national unity and peace.
This session is designed to highlight some of the main themes of the Reconstruction Era and its continuing significance for today, as well as the absence of any meaningful Reconstruction policy in Kentucky and how that absence profoundly influenced race relations in the years and decades after the Civil War.
Project Citizen
Time: 2 hours
Cost: FREE
The Project Citizen curriculum provides a practical, first-hand approach to learning about our complex system of government and how to monitor and influence it. Through the program, students work together to conduct research in their community to discover problems that they think their governments could handle better. Through this curriculum, students will:
- Learn how to Monitor and Influence Policy
- Learn the Policy-Making Process
- Develop Concrete Skills, Effective and Creative Communication Skills, and the Confidence Necessary to Exercise their Rights and Responsibilities
Project Citizen provides an engaging, rigorous approach for students to learn the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of being a responsible citizen. This introductory session provides a broad overview of how the program addresses the Kentucky social studies standards and initial steps in how to implement Project Citizen in your classroom.