Julie Smith has been selected as a delegate to the We the Teachers: Preparing the Next Generation Through History & Civics national fellowship program at William & Mary.
Led by W&M’s Strategic Cultural Partnerships division and undertaken in partnership with the National Council for History Education (NCHE), the program is funded by a $2.89 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education — the largest such award to a Virginia institution of higher learning under the American History and Civics Education National Activities program.
Timed to the nation’s 250th anniversary, We the Teachers reinforces the university’s national reputation for developing civic leadership and will equip teachers with evidence-based pedagogy to create stronger learning outcomes for students across the country.
Julie is among 100 teacher delegates selected from all fifty states to attend the Congress of Educators, a four-day residential institute taking place in July 2026 across the Historic Triangle of Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown.
Fellows will return to their schools equipped with professional video recordings, facilitator guides, and classroom resources to launch local professional learning communities. The initiative aims to establish at least 100 such communities nationwide, each engaging 15 or more educators.