The Alexander Initiative

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About

The Lamar Alexander Initiative is being established in recognition of the Honorable Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Vanderbilt class of ’62 and University Trustee, retired US senator, the 45^thgovernor of Tennessee, the 5^th US Secretary of Education, and the former president of the University of Tennessee, for his lifetime of public service on behalf of improving education for all Americans.

Beginning in June 2025, the Alexander Initiative will launch its first Seminar for Teachers. A cohort of up to 30 Alexander Fellows will be chosen through an application process designed to identify outstanding high school history and civics teachers (grades 9-12) from across the nation. As recipients of this national honor, Fellows will be fully funded and will be mentored by Vanderbilt's esteemed faculty and their higher education peers. Teachers at public, charter, independent, and private schools are welcome to apply.

Alexander Fellows who complete the program will earn a certificate of completion and continuing education units (CEUs). They will also acquire new skills, strategies, and resources to improve their classroom practice as a member of a vibrant professional learning community.

Room and board, $1,000 for travel, and a $2,500 stipend are paid for by the Alexander Initiative.

Apply and Contact

Key Dates

Teachers interested in participating should complete an application by the priority deadline of January 15, 2025. Applicants will be notified of admissions decisions by March 1, 2025. The Summer 2025 Seminar will take place Sunday, June 15 (arrive in Nashville, TN) to Sunday, June 22 (depart from Nashville, TN). From September 2025 to April 2026 there will be monthly online coaching sessions and roundtables culminating in an online lesson plan presentation.

“The study of history fosters shared understanding, strengthens civic bonds, and helps us see the past in front of us more clearly. Investing in the professional development of history and civics teachers is an investment in the future of our students, schools, communities, and nation.”

Christopher Loss
Executive Director, The Alexander Initiative

Program Details and Benefits

Week Schedule (June 15-22, 2025)
The June week-long program of study will include intensive study and training. Readings will be provided in advance.
- Day 1 (6/15): Arrival and Welcome Banquet
- Day 2 (6/16): The American Experiment: Revolution and Western Conquest
  - Seminar:
    Dan Usner - American Revolution
    Daniel Sharfstein - Indian Removal
  - Skills: Primary documents in the history classroom (VU Special Collections)
  - Immersion: Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage with Jon Meacham
- Day 3 (6/17): A House Divided: Civil War and Reconstruction
  - Seminar:
    Brandon Byrd - Slavery and Abolition
    Caroline Janney - Civil War, Reconstruction, and Memory
  - Skills: Curriculum Design (AdvancED)
  - Immersion: Tennessee State History Museum
- Day 4 (6/18): The Administrative State: New Deal to the Great Society
  - Seminar:
    Sarah Igo - New Deal
    Christopher Loss - Great Society
  - Skills: Assessment (AdvancED)
  - Immersion: Tennessee State Capitol
- Day 5 (6/19): No Class -- Juneteenth National Independence Day
- Day 6 (6/20): Rights Revolutions: From Civil Rights to the New Right
  - Seminar:
    Dennis Dickerson - Civil Rights
    Niki Hemmer - Modern Conservatism
  - Skills: The uses of local history
  - Immersion: Civil Rights Reading Room, Nashville Public Library; Walking Tour; National Museum of African American Music
- Day 7 (6/21): US in the World: The Presidency and Foreign Policy since World War II
  - Seminar:
    Tom Schwartz - Foreign Policy
    Sharece Thrower - Congress and the Presidency
  - Skills and Immersion: AI and VR in the History Classroom at the LIVE Learning Innovation Incubator
    Ole Molvig - Teaching with AI
  - Lesson Plan Design Overview
    Andy Hostetler – Building a Lesson Plan
  - Closing Banquet
    Jonathan Zimmerman – Keynote Address
- Day 8 (6/22): Departure
Daily Modules
- Seminar – Individual and panel presentations facilitated by Vanderbilt faculty and other leading experts from the fields of history, political science, education, and law.
- Skills – The exploration of different research, pedagogical and curricular strategies to improve high school US history classroom teaching and learning (e.g., archival work, universal curriculum design, assessment, responsive pedagogy, Artificial Intelligence, digital literacy)
- Immersion – Field work, site visits, and other activities to showcase the use of experiential education in the high school history classroom (e.g., Vanderbilt University Archives and Special Collections; The Hermitage; State Capitol; Civil Rights Reading Room at the Nashville Public Library; National Museum of African American Music; Tennessee State Museum; LIVE Learning Innovation Incubator; Wond’ry Making and Design Space at Vanderbilt University)
- Application – End-of-day teamwork and discussion to synthesize knowledge, skills, and abilities as they relate to the lesson plan project—a teaching unit that deploys the skills and strategies learned at the Initiative and applies them in a real classroom setting. Completed projects will exist on the Alexander Initiative website.
Remote Coaching (once per month: September 2025 – April 2026)
- Lesson Plan Design
- Roundtables (themed around emerging problems in practice)
- Online Lesson Plan Presentation and Program Completion (April 2026)
Instructional coaches who are experienced teachers and teacher educators will facilitate the remote learning experience during the academic year. This will include monthly remote small group and one-on-one video-based coaching and roundtable meetings with the whole cohort.
Benefits
The Alexander Initiative will provide:
- In-depth history workshops led by leading experts in the field of US history and related areas.
- Access to innovative teaching resources to develop curriculum materials and lesson plans.
- Opportunities to expand professional networks and communities of practice.
- A deeper pedagogical repertoire to navigate difficult moments in teaching US history and civics.
- A certificate and Continuing Education Units upon successful completion of the program.
- Room and board, $1,000 for travel, and a $2,500 stipend.