Virginia Conference on Introductory History Courses

The American Historical Association will hold the inaugural Virginia Conference on Introductory History Courses on Friday, March 28 and Saturday, March 29, 2025, at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture (VMHC) in Richmond. With support from New American History and Bunk History at the University of Richmond, VMHC, and other partners, this two-day, regional conference facilitates conversations among educators who teach introductory history courses, whether in secondary schools, community colleges, or four-year universities.

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2025 Virginia Conference

History and social studies educators at all levels share a fundamental interest in helping our students develop knowledge and habits of mind necessary for success in the twenty-first century. The AHA Virginia Conference brings together educators from diverse institutions to discuss the evolving needs of students. The Virginia Department of Education approved new Standards of Learning (SOLs) which are scheduled for implementation in Fall 2025. This transition provides an opportunity for constructive engagement and mutual support. Our goal is to foster a community of practice that spans the many kinds of institutions that offer introductory courses in US and world history, emphasizing the importance of a holistic view of student success across the entirety of their education.

• What skills and support do today’s students need to develop across primary, secondary, and post-secondary education?
• How can we structure courses and curricula to promote student success during the complex transition between high school and college?
• How can we teach good history that aligns with the new SOLs?
• What should college faculty know about secondary education in Virginia and incoming students’ strengths, passions, and concerns?
• How can post-secondary faculty assist our K-12 colleagues?

• Leading Scholars and Educators: Highlights include a keynote presentation from Ed Ayers and Annie Evans about teaching honest history in our current climate, and a featured conversation between Kevin Gannon and Jennifer Hart about radical hope in the history classroom.
• State of History Education in Virginia: Learn about the current state of Virginia’s higher education policies and the implications of new K–12 Standards of Learning for History and Social Science slated for implementation in Fall 2025.
• Breakout Discussions & Resource Sharing: Participate in breakout discussions on the purpose of introductory courses, teaching controversial topics, content added to the new SOLs, artificial intelligence, resources from the Smithsonian, introductory courses as a vehicle for recruitment, and many more topics.
• Course Design and Curriculum Development: Hear from colleagues who will present tangible examples of how they re–imagined their introductory courses.
• Student Support: Learn how you can better support students transitioning from high school to college with a focus on how history educators can better prepare students from all backgrounds for success in a complex society. 
• AHA Initiatives for History Educators: Gain insights into AHA initiatives, such as our Core Learning Outcomes in History and Careers for History Majors, designed to support history educators.

Please use the following link to view the full program.

View Program

 

Presenters Include:

Christonya Brown taught Civics and Economics to 8th grade students for 7 years before becoming the Senior Coordinator for History and Social Science in Norfolk Public Schools. She currently serves as the History and Social Science Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Education.  and served as the Department Chairperson for the history/social science department.

Edward Ayers has been named National Professor of the Year, received the National Humanities Medal from President Obama at the White House, served as president of the Organization of American Historians, and won the Bancroft Prize for distinguished writing in American history. He served as the founding chair of the board of the American Civil War Museum. He is the former president of University of Richmond and the current executive director of New American History, an online project based at the University, designed to help students and teachers to see the nation’s history in new ways. His newest book is American Visions: The United States, 1800-1860.

Jennifer Hart is Professor and Department Chair in History at Virginia Tech. A historian of mobility, technology, infrastructure, and urban space in Ghana, West Africa, Hart is the author of several books including Ghana on the Go: African Mobility in the Age of Motor Transportation (Indiana University Press, 2016). She currently serves as a senior scholar working on general education in the Office of Curricular and Pedagogical Innovation at the American Association of Colleges and University. She is the North American President for the International Society for the Scholarship on Teaching and Learning in History, a member of the Executive Council for the African Studies Association, and a member of the Africa Initiative Steering Committee for the Society for the History of Technology.

Jodi Fisler serves as the Senior Associate for Assessment Policy & Analysis at the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). Prior to joining SCHEV in 2016, she worked for six years as the Director of Student Affairs Planning & Assessment and Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs at the College of William & Mary. Jodi received her B.A. in German Studies from Williams College and her M.Ed. and Ph.D. degrees in Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership (Higher Education concentration) from the William & Mary School of Education.

Kevin Gannon serves as the Director of the Center for the Advancement of Faculty Excellence (CAFE) and Professor of History at Queens University of Charlotte. He has previously served as Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) and Professor of History at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. His teaching, research, and public work centers on critical and inclusive pedagogy; race, history, and justice; and technology and teaching.

Schuyler VanValkenburg

Schuyler VanValkenburg is a longtime History & U.S. Government teacher in Henrico County, currently at Glen Allen High School. He decided to expand his role as a public servant in 2017 and a ran for the 72nd District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. He won and served three terms in the House of Delegates, from 2018 through 2023. In 2023, he was elected to the Virginia State Senate where he represents the 16th District. As the only public school teacher in the Senate and Chair of the Subcommittee on Public Education, Senator VanValkenburg has worked to ensure the legislature passes sound education legislation and that Virginia remains a leader in public education.

Wesley Hedgepeth is a dedicated social studies educator who currently teaches World History, AP U.S. Government, and AP Comparative Politics at Collegiate School in Henrico County, Virginia. Before joining the Collegiate faculty, he taught at Trinity Episcopal School in Richmond, Virginia and James River High School in Midlothian, Virginia. In addition to teaching, Wesley proudly represents the City of Richmond’s Fourth District on the school board for Richmond Public Schools. Prior to his election to the school board in November of 2024, he served on the Board of Directors at the Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts in Richmond. Wesley also led the National Council for the Social Studies as president from 2023 to 2024 and served as president of NCSS’ affiliated council: the Virginia Council for the Social Studies from 2014 to 2017. Regardless of the endeavor, Wesley’s overall mission is to increase informed civic engagement, to advance quality social studies teaching and learning for all students–especially the historically marginalized–and to promote equitable education reform. He is deeply interested in civil discourse, civic engagement, and effective professional development. Wesley is a native of central Virginia and a graduate of Hopewell City Public Schools and James Madison University (‘08, ‘09M).

Who Should Attend

The conference is free and open to all with an interest in history and social studies education. K–16 educators in Virginia will be most interested in this event. Many sessions will focus on introductory courses in US and world history most often encountered in secondary and post-secondary education, but there will be conversations of interest to elementary educators.

Travel Information

You will be responsible for securing your accommodations. VMHC is located in the heart of Richmond’s ‘Museum District,’ which has many hotels within a ~10-15-minute driving distance. The closest is a Courtyard by Marriott, which is less than a 10-minute drive or a 20–30-minute walk from the museum. Additionally, there are walkable Airbnb’s scattered around the neighboring ‘Museum’ and ‘Fan’ neighborhoods.

For information on parking, please see the VMHC website here.

Questions

Contact Rachel Wheatley, program assistant, at rwheatley@historians.org with questions about the conference.

Sponsorship

 

 

 

The John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Higher Education

Interested in sponsoring this event? Contact Hope Shannon, marketing and engagement manager, at hshannon@historians.org.