W&M Announces Applications Open for 2027 We the Teachers Cohort

Applications for the 2027 cohort of We the Teachers: Preparing the Next Generation Through History & Civics opened today, William & Mary Strategic Cultural Partnerships and the National Council for History Education announced. The application window runs through December 15, 2026. Full details and the application are available at go.wm.edu/6Pgkw3. 

In its inaugural year, the program placed a teacher from every state in the nation into a  single national cohort. It intends to do the same in 2027. 

The 2027 Congress of Educators will be held in Denver, Colorado, expanding the program's reach westward. Program partners and formal dates will be announced before the application window closes. 

We the Teachers is supported by a $2.89 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education's American History and Civics National Activities for America's Semiquincentennial grant opportunity. It selects 100 K–12 educators annually for five days of immersive, place-based professional development alongside university scholars, master teachers, and content experts. Accepted delegates receive a $2,500 stipend covering travel and meals; lodging, site admissions, and on-the-ground transportation are provided by the program.

The program is open to K–12 classroom teachers, education specialists, administrators, and curriculum supervisors, with preference given to current classroom teachers.

The inaugural 2026 Congress, held in Williamsburg, Virginia, drew educators from all 50 states and produced results that exceeded expectations. Ninety-seven percent of post-program respondents reported being satisfied or very satisfied. Ninety-eight percent said the Congress introduced them to at least one new evidence-based instructional strategy, and more than eight in ten said they expected to use what they learned regularly or multiple times per semester.

For many delegates, the impact went well beyond what they brought into the classroom. "I think this week changed me," said Katie Christie, a history teacher from North Dakota. "I have gone to multiple national PDs and learned a lot. I had great experiences and my teaching improved — but that's where the impact ended."

That distinction — between professional development that improves a teacher and professional development that activates one — is central to how We the Teachers is designed. Every delegate leaves the Congress with a professional expectation to facilitate Professional Learning Communities in history and civics for colleagues in their schools, districts, and states. 

That expectation comes with real support. Post-Congress, delegates have access to monthly office hours with SCP program staff, regular communications from the program team with resources, new scholarship, and field updates, and a standing cohort network that spans all 50 states. They also retain full access to the program's growing library of courses and instructional materials through lilyPD, W&M's on-demand professional development platform.

"I didn't just get phone numbers, I got addresses," said Melanie Ruonaavara, an elementary educator from Montana. "We're going to keep learning from each other." 

Lois MacMillan, a 35-year American history teacher from Grants Pass, Oregon, put it simply: "We are better together. I've done this for 35 years, and I'm ready to go." 

For educators not applying this cycle, lilyPD: Professional Development powered by William & Mary has teacher professional development content free and open to any educator in the country — no application, no cost. Self-paced courses take approximately five hours, carry professional development credit, and come with a certificate from W&M's School of Education.

Current offerings include Historical Inquiry in the Classroom, Civil Discourse in the Classroom, Artifact Analysis, and The Horizon of Independence, a course on teaching the American Revolution at 250. Courses stack toward a forthcoming credential: Educating for the 250th. In its first months, lilyPD reached educators in 40 states and five countries, across 242 schools, districts, and organizations. 

"Very informative, but very flexible," said Julie Anderson, an educator from Lexington, Kentucky. "You can do it around your schedule. It's everything you want out of professional development."

An information session for prospective applicants will be held October 15. Interested educators can register here.

Applications close December 15, 2026. Learn more and apply at go.wm.edu/6Pgkw3.

We the Teachers is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education (Award #S422C250042). One hundred percent of the project, totaling $2,890,937, is financed with federal funds. No non-governmental funds support the project.