Reflections on Teaching for NIAHD

from Elliot Warren, Summer 2023

I teach for NIAHD because it gives me the ability to broaden students’ understanding of what history is, how it is produced, and why it matters before they enter the college atmosphere. Gaining these skills and appreciating history in new ways while still in high school enhances their ability to think critically at a crucial point where many of them are learning about our nation’s history in detail for the first time. When NIAHD students return to their high school history classes they are prepared to approach course material with a fresh perspective, a better appreciation of why they are learning history, and the capability to situate their own experiences in historical context.

NIAHD’s unique methodology—combining college-level reading with experiential learning at historical sites—prepares students for college courses and beyond in ways they otherwise would not have access to. Connecting scholarship with physical space makes history feel more tangible and thus more relevant for students. Beyond college preparation, I value how NIAHD gives students the tools to examine the world around them through critical analysis. In-class discussions allow students to share ideas from a variety of personal perspectives, and building on shared experiences with course readings and site visits creates an environment where students consider why history unfolded as it did, how our own perception shapes our understanding of history, and how history is a living discipline that helps make sense of the present. I teach for NIAHD because it reframes how students view history as a central tool to understand the world around them.