W&M Announces We the Teachers 2027 Cohort Recruitment Details

by Danny Devlin | September 21, 2026

William & Mary Strategic Cultural Partnerships and the National Council for History Education are proud to announce that applications for the 2027 cohort of We the Teachers: Preparing the Next Generation Through History & Civicsopen October 1, 2026.

We the Teachers is a national teacher professional development initiative 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. The program brings together 100 K–12 teacher leaders for a five-day program of place-based learning and instructional skill development to strengthen civics and history education for students across the country.

The program has three goals: to deliver immersive, evidence-based professional development for K–12 educators; to develop and provide flexible, on-demand microlearning courses in American history, civics, and evidence-based instructional strategies nationwide through lilyPD: Professional Development powered by William & Mary; and to equip teacher-delegates to facilitate sustainable Professional Learning Communities in history and civic education for educators in their schools, districts, and states.

Teacher-delegates receive a $2,500 stipend covering travel and meals. Lodging, admission to historic sites, and on-the-ground transportation are provided directly by the program.

In its first year, We the Teachers brought 100 educators to Williamsburg, Virginia. Over five days, delegates worked at Jamestown Settlement and in Colonial Williamsburg, traveled to Richmond for a day at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, and learned alongside scholars including Emily Sneff and Yohuru Williams.

The inaugural Congress drew exceptional marks from its delegates. In the post-program evaluation, 97 percent reported being satisfied or very satisfied, and 62 of 70 respondents said they would recommend it to a colleague without reservation. Ninety-eight percent said the Congress introduced them to at least one new evidence-based instructional strategy, and more than eight in ten expect to use what they learned regularly or multiple times a semester.

"It is so much more than professional development. You are learning from incredible speakers, visiting historical sites, gaining ideas and resources you can actually take back and use in your classroom, and connecting with educators from across the country who share your passion for teaching history. I came home excited, inspired, and with a renewed love for teaching history."
— a 2026 delegate, post-program evaluation

In 2027, We the Teachers moves to Denver, Colorado, expanding the program's reach westward, and expanding W&M’s national preeminence as a font of American intellectual tradition in civic leadership. Formal dates for the Congress will be announced before the application window ends.

The program's companion platform, lilyPD, is free and open to any educator. Courses are self-paced, take about five hours, and carry professional development credit, with a certificate issued through William & Mary's School of Education; they stack toward a credential in development called Educating for the 250th. 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.

In its first months the platform reached educators in 40 states and five countries, across 242 schools, districts, and organizations. Of those surveyed, 97 percent said the content was directly relevant to their classroom, and four out of five said they would recommend the course they took without reservation.

“I would tell any teacher who has the opportunity to apply, do it,” said one teacher delegate.

We the Teachers is open to applications from K-12 educators, education specialists, administrators, and curriculum supervisors, with preference given to current classroom teachers.

Applications close December 15, 2026. An information session for prospective applicants will be held October 15. Interested teachers are invited to register here.

Not intending to apply this year? Take a professional development course on lilyPD.

Learn more and get ready to apply.

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.