Summer Institutes for Teachers

We welcome applications from educators who will be teaching during the 2026-27 school year. Priority selection goes to social studies, history, and English/language arts, and general education teachers of grades 4-12. Teachers of other subjects or grades may be considered on an individual basis.  

Teachers may apply as individuals or as part of a team of two, but each member of the team must submit an individual application.   

Efforts will be made to enroll a cohort that reflects a range of geography, life experience, and teaching environment.  

• Gain expertise from museum educators and content experts through virtual content sessions, in-gallery activities, and discussion groups
• Learn to use American art in the classroom to foster critical thinking skills, develop visual literacy, and deepen student engagement with content
• Make interdisciplinary connections among American art, social studies, history, and English/language arts
• Experiment with digital tools you can use to bring art into your classroom
• Develop and share lesson ideas with peers

“I always thought art was for art teachers. but this week I learned that through art you can do social emotional learning, you can do critical thinking, history, analysis. I feel so much more confidence now!”
- Institute Participant

During Institutes:

• Teacher’s Tool Kit including color reproductions, classroom discussion and writing exercises, project guidelines, and teaching strategies
• Behind-the-scenes experiences at the Museum
• Access to featured digital tools
• Daily breakfast and lunch
• Optional evening events and enrichment experiences

Throughout the year:

• Connection to a national network of Institute alumni
• Museum staff support for curriculum development

“The entire experience feels like hitting the reset button on my approach to teaching. It has given me concrete tools to utilize in my classroom. The scope of thinking routines, activities, and artworks is impressive.” 
- Institute Participant

• Completion of pre-Institute assignments
• Attendance at two 90-minute virtual sessions (one before and one after the on-site Institute) for a total of three hours. Virtual sessions will be recorded if participants are unable to attend live.
• Active participation in the four-day on-site Institute in Washington, D.C.; plan to arrive each day at the Museum by 9:00 a.m. and leave by 4:00 p.m.
• Sharing of lesson ideas during a virtual meeting following the on-site Institute.

“Everyone involved in the execution of this program was phenomenal. It was an absolute honor to take part in this event. It has reignited my passion for teaching (I really needed that!) and it inspired me in so many ways.”

“This was the best professional development I’ve ever attended … As for the group of educators who joined me in the experience, I continue to be impressed by them.”

“[I am leaving with] an unbelievable wealth of resources, courage to try new methods of teaching, and a general appreciation for art on a whole new level. The variety of strategies modeled and experiences we had as learners gives me a new sense of agency – I can do this, and furthermore, I know where to turn for support, guidance and ideas.”

“All of my expectations were fulfilled and exceeded. I have found this to be the most productive and invigorating professional development of my teaching career.”

“I will look at art so differently from here on out. It won’t just be ’something to look at’ but something to learn from. I will also have a ton of strategies that I’m walking away with, which I really appreciate. In addition, I’m walking away with practice in them so I already feel like I know how to use them. And I will walk away with a much deeper art background than I came with.”

Institute alumni report positive outcomes from regularly integrating art into their teaching.

Evaluation has shown:

• Stronger student writing
• Greater participation from hard-to-reach students
• Improved student capacity for evidence-based inferencing
• Increased academic confidence for students of all ability levels
• Transfer of critical thinking skills from visual texts to written texts

“I wanted to share some of the amazing work my students have done in this first month of school with art integration. Students were engaged and excited to learn … it was so impressive seeing them making connections and being genuinely excited to write.” 

­– Institute Participant 

Complete the online application by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Monday, March 23, 2026.

Whether applying alone or as a member of a team, each teacher must submit a complete, individual application.

A committee will review all completed applications and notify all applicants of their status via email by April 17, 2026. SAAM will attempt to accommodate accepted applicants' date preferences, subject to space limitations. Each session has space for approximately 30 participants.

The registration deadline for accepted teachers is May 8, 2026. 

The cost of the program is $100, due upon registration. This non-refundable fee covers the cost of your take-home materials as well as daily breakfast and lunch. Participants are responsible for travel and lodging costs.  

Graduate credit is available for an additional cost. 

A limited number of scholarships up to $1,500 are available to support participants traveling from outside the DC Metro area. Scholarship decisions will be made based on the following considerations, as shown by application responses:  

• Teaching experience and style
• Subject area and grade level
• Geographic location
• Rationale for attending and plans to implement learning
• Professionalism 

Scholarship awardees are expected to do ONE of the following during the 2026-27 school year:

• Lead a professional development session for other educators.
• Submit a report to Institute staff documenting the impact of your Institute experience in your classroom.
• Write an article or blog post about your Institute experience and the impact in your classroom, submitting to an educational publication.

Two $1,500 scholarships are designated for National English Honor Society chapter advisors. 

While teachers outside the United States are welcome to apply for the Institutes, scholarship funds are reserved for US-based teachers and those teaching in DoDEA schools on US military bases abroad.

Museum staff will provide documentation of participation, including total contact hours for virtual and on-site sessions, for all participants.

Three graduate credits from an accredited university will be available for an additional fee. For more information, please contact AmericanArtInstitutes@si.edu. 

Visit our Professional Development page to browse upcoming teacher programs, both in-person and virtual, and watch recordings of past workshops.