WASHINGTON, D.C.-- On July 31st, a select group of teachers from around the nation will gather in Washington DC as part of this year's Summer Institute for Secondary School Social Studies Teachers. Sponsored annually by the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Summer Institute allows a group of 25-30 high school social studies teachers for one week each summer to travel to the nation's capital to examine the dynamics of international conflict management in the post-Cold War era.

Chosen from a pool of applicants who teach in high schools across America, the Summer Institute is carefully designed by the Institute's Education Program to enhance both the teachers' substantive expertise and teaching skills in complicated subjects such as international peace, security and conflict management. Held over the week of July 31st, the teachers will participate in a series of special seminars and teaching exercises designed to allow the teachers to step out of their classrooms and collectively discuss strategies of how to encourage students to take an active interest in foreign affairs and conflict resolution.

Included during their stay in Washington are several roundtable discussion sessions on current issues in international peace studies. Led by leading foreign policy experts from a variety of public, private and non-governmental organizations, speakers at previous Summer Institutes have included representatives from the International Red Cross, Catholic Relief Services, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Other activities scheduled for this year's participants will include a foreign affairs teaching exercise and a foreign policy simulation examining a current international conflict.

As one of this year's highlights, the teachers during the week will participate in a series of hands-on curriculum development workshops. Facilitated by Summer Institute Program Manager Jeff Helsing, the workshops will allow the teachers to pool their experiences and develop model curriculums that could be used in their high schools to expose students to issues such as the problems of landmines or the impact of international conflicts on life here in the U.S.

Now in its tenth year, the Summer Institute for Secondary School Social Studies Teachers is part of the Institute's Education Program which offers programs throughout the year on conflict resolution, mediation, and negotiation to both educators and foreign policy makers. Finalists chosen to attend the Summer Institute are selected through a vigorous application process including a peer review of applications conducted by teachers who have attended previous Institutes. Applications for the 2002 Summer Institute are scheduled to be available this September.

2001 Summer Institute for Secondary School Social Studies Teachers Participants

Letitia Abbott
Rock Point Community School
Rock Point, Arizona

Lisa Adeli
Buena High School
Sierra Vista, Arizona

Julie Allen
South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities
Greenville, South Carolina

Lisa Marie Buoncuore
Westover School
Middlebury, Connecticut

Chistopher Cameron
Hillwood High School
Nashville, Tennessee

Ben Danielson
Northfield High School
Northfield, Minnesota

Brian Fenderson
Cascade High School
Turner, Oregon

Troy Hamilton
Wilcox High School
Wilcox, Arizona

Peter Hegelbach
Horizons K-8 Alternative Charter School
Boulder, Colorado

Ann Jordan
Queen of Peace High School
North Arlington, New Jersey

David Kaplan
Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Rita Krusell
Thomas More High School
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Julie Lazzari
Fairhope High School
Fairhope, Alabama

Domenic Martelli
Avon Grove High School
West Grove, Pennsylvania

Michael Mulvey
Fairfield High School
Fairfield, Connecticut

Sarah Olson
Port Washington High School
Port Washington, Wisconsin

Christopher Parisi
Fairfield High School
Fairfield, Connecticut

Lindy Poling
Millbrook High School
Raleigh, North Carolina

Kevin Pumphrey
Clark High School
San Antonio, Texas

Nancy Robberson
Maui High School
Kahului, Hawaii

Laurie Schmitt
American Community School
Beirut, Lebanon

Richard Schubart
Phillips Exeter Academy
Exeter, New Hampshire

Dan Spelce
Aptos High School
Aptos, California

Jan Van Arsdell
The Waterford School
Sandy, Utah

Deborah Wilchek
Richard Montgomery High School
Rockville, Maryland

James Woods
Summit High School
Summit, New Jersey

Lauren J. Wukitch
North Hills High School
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The U.S. Institute of Peace is a non-partisan, independent organization created and funded by the U.S. Congress to promote prevention and resolution of international conflicts.