DMPS Announces $1.5 Million Teaching American History Grant

Des Moines Public Schools is holding a kick-off event to celebrate the district’s $1.5 million Project Clio Teaching American History grant, which is designed to improve student achievement through high quality-history instruction over a five-year period. Middle and high school social science and history teachers and the Teaching American History partner organizations have been invited to attend.

The event will be held:

Tuesday, August 25
Guest Lecture: 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Reception: 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
State Historical Building – 600 E. Locust St.

Professor Jeremi Suri, E. Gordon Fox Professor of History, University of Wisconsin, will be the guest lecturer on “The Cold War – Conflict and Compromise.” Professor Suri is the author of three books on contemporary politics and foreign policy. His research and teaching have received numerous prizes. In 2007 Smithsonian Magazine named him one of America’s “Top Young Innovators” in the Arts and Sciences.

The Teaching American History Grant program is a discretionary grant program funded under Title II-C, Subpart 4 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Serving as partners for the project are the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, Iowa State University, the Center for Iowa Studies at Des Moines Area Community College, the State Historical Society of Iowa, Fort Des Moines Museum and Education Center, and Living History Farms.

“Never has there been such a significant investment in history education in the state of Iowa,” said David Johns, humanities curriculum coordinator for Des Moines Public Schools. “Access to world-class historians and educators like Professor Suri will be the key to making history more relevant, exciting and engaging for our students.”

For more information about Professor Suri, visit http://jeremisuri.net/biography.