The Gilder Lehrman Center Announces Inaugural Yale and Slavery Teachers Institute to Launch July 2025
New Haven, Conn.—The Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition is proud to announce the application release for the inaugural Yale and Slavery Teachers Institute Program, launching in July 2025. This transformative program is designed to help K-12 educators in New England meet state mandates to incorporate Black and Indigenous history into their curricula.
Each summer over the next five years, a cohort of teachers from Connecticut and surrounding states in New England will engage with partners both within and beyond Yale’s academic community to explore a specific theme, guided by the book Yale and Slavery: A History as a foundational resource. Through collaboration with scholars, public historians, state partners, Native communities, and other stakeholders, participants will revise existing curricular materials and co-develop innovative teaching strategies. The resulting resources will be shared widely, benefiting students, educators, and the public across the region.
The 2025 Yale and Slavery Teachers Institute will focus on the theme “Teaching Slavery in New England.” This two-week intensive program will offer educators an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the region’s complex history of enslavement. The first week features expert-led workshops, visits to historic sites in Mystic, Newport, and Providence, and engagement with exhibitions that center the stories and legacies of enslaved individuals. The second week emphasizes hands-on curriculum development, providing educators with tools to enhance their lesson plans, collaborate with peers, and tackle critical topics such as the representation of slavery in literature and visual media.
This initiative, led by the Gilder Lehrman Center at the Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale, aligns with the Center’s aims to promote a more informed and inclusive world through the pursuit of excellence in research, teaching, and capacity building. The Macmillan Center’s Senior Director of Global Programs Mark Roland noted:,
“Given the MacMillan Center’s commitment to pursuing and sharing new knowledge on topics of international significance, we are immensely proud to support the Yale and Slavery Initiative. It is a wonderful example of using scholarship to promote understanding, reflection, and action.”.
The program also aligns with recent state initiatives and updates in Connecticut to social studies standards that emphasize inclusivity and diversity in education. It also supports the growing need for accessible, high-quality social studies content for K-8 educators, who may not have formal training in history.
Steve Armstrong, a Connecticut state social studies consultant involved in the program's development, underscored its importance:
“It is incredibly exciting to see the program for the Yale and Slavery Teachers Institute to be offered this summer. The institute will include both elementary and secondary teachers, with specific programming designed for each group . The Institute will allow teachers to study slavery at the local level and will encourage the development of lesson/unit plans to be used in the classroom. As far as teacher institutes go, this one should be a home run!”
Jenny Heikkila Diaz, Professional Development Coordinator for the Connecticut Council for Social Studies, reflected on her role in shaping the program:
“Being part of the planning process has been an honor. It’s been a collaborative journey that has drawn on the diverse expertise and experiences of so many individuals and communities. Together, we’re creating meaningful learning opportunities for K-12 teachers to bring back to their students and families.”
The Yale and Slavery Teachers Institute marks the beginning of an ongoing commitment to fostering thoughtful dialogue, rigorous scholarship, and impactful teaching about New England’s historical relationship with slavery and its enduring legacy that was initiated by the Yale and Slavery Research Project.
Join us for the 2025 YSTI Virtual Open House on Wednesday, December 18th at 5 PM to learn about the inaugural Yale and Slavery Teachers Institute. During the webinar, we will discuss the application process, event schedules, and offer insights into the institute's offerings, concluding with a Q&A. The application is now open and available on our website. Don't miss this chance to get involved in this important educational initiative!
For more information about the application process and program details, please visit https://macmillan.yale.edu/glc/yale-and-slavery-teachers-institute-2025 or contact Director of Education and Public Outreach, Daisha Brabham at daisha.brabham@yale.edu