Join us and three hundred fellow educators at Gettysburg College for this four-day program. You will study one topic in depth with a world-renowned scholar and be able to attend optional events such as book talks, networking sessions, trivia night, and battlefield tours.
For 2025, we have extended the Symposium by half a day based on feedback from past participants.
7 Courses to Choose From
Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Dates: Sunday, July 13 to Wednesday, July 16, 2025
In Person
7 Courses
Up To 24 PD Hours
We are excited for the return of the Gilder Lehrman Teacher Symposium, with two of our most popular scholars coming back and five new courses. Join us in July for the chance to work with subject experts, deepen your historical knowledge, and discover new ways to engage with your students in the classroom. Based on your feedback, we have extended the Symposium by an additional half-day.
Eligibility: You must be an Affiliate School teacher, National Park Service employee, district supervisor, or librarian to register for the Teacher Symposium.
How to Register: Please click any of the courses below to learn more about content and to register for the symposium.
Lead Scholar: Caroline Winterer, Stanford University
Master Teacher: Lindsey Charron
Lead Scholar: Peniel Joseph, University of Texas at Austin
Master Teacher: Corey Winchester
Lead Scholar: K. Tsianina Lomawaima, Arizona State University
Master Teacher: Rebecca Luebker
Lead Scholar: Kermit Roosevelt, University of Pennsylvania
Master Teacher: Spencer Burrows
Lead Scholar: Brenda Stevenson, UCLA
Master Teacher: Keisha Rembert
Lead Scholar: David Blight, Yale University
Master Teacher: Gena Oppenheim
Lead Scholar: Michael Neiberg, United States Army War College
Master Teacher: Ron Nash
Please email us at seminars@gilderlehrman.org if you have questions that are not addressed here.
Find the course you are interested in and register on the course page. The registration process includes filling out a form to collect your contact info and any health/dietary considerations. You will not be officially registered until you complete the form and submit your registration fee.
Symposium courses meet at the same time, which means attendees can only sign up for one.
Registration closes on May 19, 2025.
There is a $200 registration fee to attend the Teacher Symposium that is non-refundable after May 1, 2025.
There is an additional optional $345 fee for room and board on campus at Gettysburg College in single, air-conditioned rooms. All meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner, a total of eleven meals) are included in this fee.
Participants are responsible for their own travel and transportation costs.
For more information about how to get to Gettysburg College, please visit their website here.
The Gilder Lehrman Institute will consider applications for financial aid based on need and professional background for teachers registering for the 2025 Gilder Lehrman Teacher Symposium. Scholarships will be awarded on a rolling basis based on need and availability.
If you are applying for additional professional development funds from your school, please complete this scholarship form by March 15, 2025, in order to receive a response by April 1, 2025.
This is an optional add-on to any registration. It will allow participants to stay on the Gettysburg College campus in single, air-conditioned rooms. All meals (dinner on Sunday, three meals on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and breakfast on Thursday) will be included for each day and provided by the Gettysburg College food service department. For more information on Gettysburg College housing, visit the On-Campus Accommodations tab.
Please note: If you opt out of the room-and-board fee, you will be expected to find your own food and lodging for the duration of the Symposium.
Yes. We can accept payment from your school for your registration, including purchase orders. Please email us at seminars@gilderlehrman.org with any questions about this process.
If you give us notice by May 1, 2025, that you cannot attend the Symposium, we can refund your registration fees minus a $50 administrative fee. After May 1, we will not issue any refunds for Teacher Symposium registrations.
Gilder Lehrman professional development programs are generally eligible for CEU and PDP credits, but it is your responsibility to verify eligibility with your school administration or state PD office. (The Institute is an approved provider of professional development in Massachusetts, Montana, New York, Texas, and Washington State, and in Michigan through a partnership with the Michigan Council for History Education.) If you need more information to determine eligibility than is available on the Teacher Symposium page, please email us at seminars@gilderlehrman.org.
At this time, we are not able to offer graduate credit for our Teacher Symposium. You may wish to consider taking courses in the Gettysburg College–Gilder Lehrman MA in American History program.
Please email us at seminars@gilderlehrman.org.
Participants who include room and board ($345 fee) in their registration will be housed on campus in Gettysburg College dorms. Dorm types vary according to availability on campus. Rooms will be assigned at random based on dorm availability and registration numbers.
All participants will have a single bedroom but may share common space and bathroom facilities with other participants in either an apartment-style or traditional dorm as outlined below.
Dorms are equipped with basic bedding and furniture. Participants will be provided with twin extra-long sheets, a pillow, blanket, and towels, but some participants may prefer to bring their own linens. Participants should plan to bring toiletries, including hand soap, body wash, and shampoo/conditioner.
Throughout the Symposium, each scholar will lead a discussion on one of their books. This is a great opportunity to learn from as many of our incredible scholars as possible. All book talks are open to all participants, regardless of which course you are taking. Books will be available for purchase and there will be opportunities for book signings.
To kick off the Gilder Lehrman Teacher Symposium, Professor David Blight will join us for a book talk and Q&A on Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory. Immediately following the book talk, participants will enjoy an opening dinner and meet and greet with the scholars.
Put your knowledge of American history to the test during Trivia Night! Team up and compete for prizes as you use the knowledge gained from your first day of the Symposium. Trivia Night will be curated and run by former Jeopardy! contestant and Gilder Lehrman staff member Daniel Pecoraro.
Symposium participants will take a short ride down to the Gettysburg Battlefield, where we will have a private walking tour of different areas and histories of the battlefield. Participants will be asked to select their preferred tour before the Symposium.
Join us for drinks and light refreshments and learn about our MA course offerings. Program administrators, students, and graduates will be on hand to answer your questions about the MA program, application process, scholarships, and more!
