Two-day Homeschool Teacher Workshop

Bringing History to Life with Family History  

Eastern Massachusetts Homeschool Teachers and Cooperative Leaders

Grades: 4-8 (ages 9-14)

In-person: Friday January 23 and Saturday January 24, 2026

Participants Receive a $200 Stipend

Application Deadline: December 19, 2025

Join us at the American Ancestors headquarters in downtown Boston to receive training and resources needed to implement our Family History Curriculum. Receive free lesson plans, teaching strategies, case studies, and more.

Genealogy is a powerful lens for teaching history, culture, and geography. Go beyond family trees and help students develop critical research and thinking skills as they explore their roots and make personal connections to history. 

More About the Workshop

Our teacher professional development includes a two-day in-person workshop, personalized follow-up training, and student field trips.

Teachers will receive lessons and strategies from our Family History Curriculum. It is aligned with the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards and can be adapted to local standards.

Our workshops empower teachers to integrate genealogy into their curriculum in a way that is respectful to the sensitive nature of family history. Lessons can be tailored to individual students, including their age, grade, cultural heritage, and unique background.

Cost

• Free + $200 stipend

Eastern Massachusetts Homeschool Teachers:

• Homeschool Teachers
• Cooperative Leaders

Grades

• 4-8 (ages 9-14)

Workshop

Participate in a two-day workshop. Receive inquiry-based lessons, inclusive teaching strategies, case studies of historical figures, and firsthand knowledge from professional genealogists.

• In-Person Workshop Dates: January 23 and January 24, 2026
• Time: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM ET
• Location: American Ancestors, 97 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116

Follow-up Coaching

After the workshop, receive an optional follow-up training via Zoom to create a personalized plan to incorporate genealogy with your students.

• Dates: March to May 2026
• Time: A convenient time for you
• Location: Zoom

Student Field Trip

Incorporate a field trip to American Ancestors to support a unit on family history. Students will get a behind-the-scenes look at the methods, tools, and sources used by professional genealogists.

• Dates: A convenient time for you
• Time: A convenient time for you
• Location: American Ancestors

Benefits for Teachers

• $200 Stipend for Travel and Materials needed to implement genealogy lessons with students
• Inquiry-Based Lessons and Inclusive Teaching Strategies from our Family History Curriculum
• Firsthand Knowledge from Professional Genealogists and strategies to replicate authentic research methodologies with students
• One-on-One Virtual Follow-Up Training to brainstorm a personalized plan to create lessons and projects for students
• Student Field Trip to American Ancestors to support your curriculum
• Member Access to AmericanAncestors.org

Benefits for Students

• Develop historical thinking skills and learn how to plan and carry out research
• Make personal connections to history and discover their roots
• Be at the center of historical-inquiry and shape their own learning
• Explore real-world careers and authentic research practices used by professional genealogists
• Experience the psychological and emotional benefits of family history research

Learn How to Implement Inquiry-Based Lesson Plans

The Family History Curriculum has everything you need to support students as they carry out research, evaluate sources, and draw conclusions supported by evidence. Lessons incorporate primary sources from the Library of Congress, along with case studies of historical figures. Lessons address common misconceptions that students have about genealogy, and they empower students to create historical narratives for themselves.

Questions? Contact Dustin Axe, School Programs & Curriculum Manager at Dustin.Axe@americanancestors.org.

This Homeschool Teacher Workshop: Bringing History to Life with Family History is sponsored in part by the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Eastern Region Program, coordinated by Waynesburg University.

Funded by a grant from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program. Content created and featured in partnership with the TPS program does not indicate an endorsement by the Library of Congress.

About American Ancestors

American Ancestors is a national nonprofit center for family history, heritage, and culture based in Boston, Massachusetts, that has been setting the gold standard for family history research since its founding in 1845.

Today, American Ancestors serves more than 400,000 members and online subscribers through AmericanAncestors.org, one of the world’s largest online collections of family history resources, scholarship, educational programming, and events. In April 2025, American Ancestors launched the Family Heritage Experience, an interactive, state-of-the-art exhibition that introduces visitors to the joys of family history.

Application 

Coming soon.