Professional Development Opportunities
Summer Civics Seminar
Sponsored by a U.S. Department of Education grant, the Summer Civics Seminar accepts applications from in-service teachers at public and private schools across Alabama. Each summer, the program aims to host one in-service teacher from each of Alabama’s 138 public school districts, along with 37 in-service teachers from private schools across the state, for a week-long professional development experience. Pre-service teachers are also eligible to apply.
The program provides participants with an honorarium, lodging, and meals, as well as access to national civic education organizations, expert faculty in American political thought, keynote speakers, and an experiential learning day.
Applications for the 2027 Summer Civics Seminar are now open.
Apply for Summer Civics Seminar
Tocqueville Lecture Series - Youtube Channel
In partnership with the Regional In-Service Center, teachers may attend these civic discourse events and earn professional learning credit for free.
Summer Civics Symposium
The Symposium is a three-day professional development program for middle and high school teachers that engages with primary sources, in alignment with the new social studies standards released by the state of Alabama. This program also contains pedagogy sessions by national leaders in civics education.
Participants receive an honorarium, travel reimbursement, meals, a reader, and professional learning credit for completing this program, which is due to generous support from the Jack Miller Center.
The 2026 Summer Civics Symposium is taking place on July 14th through July 16th on the campus of Jacksonville State University.
The 2027 Summer Civics Symposium dates and location are to be determined. The application will be available in Spring 2027.