Learning & Design Lab

RevEd: Revolutionary Educators

It has never been more challenging but critical for teachers to engage their students with a more inclusive and honest history in a complex and politicized classroom environment. Classroom teachers, educators from museums and historic sites, public historians, and university-based teacher educators can work together to create robust and sustainable models to transform classroom teaching and learning across the country; this is the mission of the Revolutionary Educators community of practice.

On October 27th, 2022, nearly 100 museum and historic site educators, teacher educators, and K-12 teachers gathered in-person and online for the inaugural RevEd Teacher Summit for 2026. Participants connected with colleagues nationwide to explore challenges and possibilities and apply actionable strategies to their teaching. RevEd was generously supported by William & Mary, Teacher InSites, and the Virginia 250 Commission. Many participants also opted to stay in Williamsburg to attend the For 2026 Conference hosted by the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture (OI), William & Mary, and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation at no cost.  

 The second RevEd Teacher Summit met on October 26-28, 2023. The theme for this event was "For 2026: Contested Freedoms." Participation in this year's conference grew to include more than 120 museum educators, teacher educators, and K-12 classroom teachers from 3 tribal nations, 24 states, and the District of Columbia meeting in person and online. In addition to researcher–to-researcher panels and workshops for scholars of the American Revolution and Vast Early America, we offered sessions for and by museum educators, teacher educators, and classroom teachers. These sessions explored ways to bridge theory and practice to advance an expansive, inclusive history of early America that accounts for the diversity of people and experiences that shaped the period.

Cultural Heritage Internship Program

One of the primary goals for W&M's Vision 2026 is to educate for impact, including leading the nation's selective liberal arts & sciences institutions in applied learning opportunities. Internships, particularly those offered for academic credit and/or compensation, can be a key driver of applied learning and expand career pathways as alums enter a competitive job market. W&M is uniquely positioned to create a model for best engaging our students in internships at museums and historic sites. To realize W&M's mission to advance democracy and prepare students to understand and change the world, we seek to leverage established university resources and programs to expand the range of student opportunities in museums and historic sites further.

The Cultural Heritage Internship Program (CHIP) will leverage existing partnerships with William & Mary's Charles Center, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and other museums and sites in the Tidewater region, Richmond, Washington, D.C., and beyond. Working together, we will create meaningful experiences for interns, position them to contribute important work for partner institutions and integrate high-impact practices to maximize learning and skill development. The CHIP program will serve all students but focuses on recruiting first-generation, low-income, veteran, and under-represented students. Internships that are funded and/or offer academic credit will enable a broader array of students to expand their skills and opportunities within the context of their academic programs; this, in turn, provides cultural heritage institutions with a pipeline of new employees that will diversify their workforce, integrating new visions and voices in this time of unprecedented change. 

W&M Learning & Design Lab is matching W&M students to internship opportunities at Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Muscarelle Museum of Art, W&M Bray School Lab, W&M Strategic Cultural Partnerships, the Brafferton Initiative in positions related to media development, web design, research, people, talent, and culture, marketing, education, archaeology, oral history, and more.

Microlearning Academy for Museum Professionals

The ever-evolving cultural heritage space requires ongoing professional learning for museum staff to keep pace with change and advance in their careers. Our Microlearning Academy for Museum Professionals will offer online and hybrid learning opportunities for individuals interested in museum and historic site education.

This effort, designed to prepare the next generation of cultural heritage site educators and administrators, draws on leaders and innovators from W&M faculty and staff, local and regional partners, and sites across the United States to share their expertise and provide participants the opportunities to build relevant and meaningful skills. This effort advances William & Mary's Vision 2026 strategic priorities related to democracy and career pathways. Additionally, this effort will expand W&M's reach and educate for impact.