The University of Northern Iowa recently welcomed history faculty from across the Midwest for a two-day workshop examining the role of history education in preparing engaged citizens and future educators.

Held June 24-25, the “History and Civic Education: Training Teachers” workshop brought together a dozen faculty members representing colleges and universities in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. Participants came from a diverse range of institutions, including doctoral research universities, public and private colleges and universities, and community colleges.

The workshop was funded through a grant from the Alliance for Civics in the Academy (ACA), secured through a partnership between Jennifer McNabb, professor and head of history at UNI, and Professor Sue Marchand, president of the American Historical Association (AHA) and professor at Louisiana State University.

Discussions focused on the unique opportunities and challenges facing history departments that prepare future history and social science teachers, highlighting the essential role history education plays in civic learning.

“The workshop offered opportunities to discuss UNI’s programs and approaches for integrating history into civic education as well as to consider as a group of college faculty who teach future teachers additional initiatives and opportunities for elevating history’s role in civic ed further,” said McNabb. 

McNabb facilitated the workshop alongside Allison Rank, director of the UNI Center for Civic Education.

McNabb noted, “Many of the workshop participants cited hearing from the Iowa in-service teachers attending this summer’s Iowa Civic Educators Institute (ICEI) as particularly valuable. The combined activities of the workshop and the ICEI represented great synergies between the programming of the UNI Center for Civic Education and national organizations supporting history and civic education.”

The convening also highlighted UNI's growing leadership in civic education initiatives. Organizers expect the discussions and outcomes from the workshop to help create a model for similar regional gatherings in other parts of the country.

“The innovative, pragmatic design of this workshop allowed attendees to learn from UNI’s experience in founding the Center for Civic Education how similar programs might be built on their own campuses. The organizers, Jen McNabb and Allison Rank, taught me a great deal about best practices in training the next generation of social studies teachers, and inspired me to use UNI’s model as a template for improving civics teaching in my home state (Louisiana) as well." said Marchand.

"History equips students to ask thoughtful questions, weigh evidence, and understand the complexity of the world around them — skills that are essential to a healthy democracy,” said Sarah Weicksel, Executive Director of the AHA. “Preparing the next generation of history teachers means giving them not only a strong foundation in historical scholarship, but also the tools, resources, and confidence to foster curiosity, critical thinking, and informed civic participation in their classrooms. Institutions like the University of Northern Iowa play a vital role in that work by preparing educators who will inspire students to engage thoughtfully with the past and responsibly with the challenges of the present.”

The UNI workshop was one of two convenings funded through the ACA grant, with a companion event planned at Louisiana State University. Support for the initiative was provided through the ACA and the American Historical Association, with additional support from UNI's Department of History Fund for Excellence.