Are you an American middle or high school teacher who is:

  • Committed to educating young people about international peace and the resolution of violent conflicts?
  • Curious about the field of international peace and conflict resolution and how you might prepare your students to take the lead in this critical work?
  • Looking for a community of practice made up of educators and global peacebuilders in which to learn and grow?

The U.S. Institute of Peace's Peace Teachers program is a virtual professional development opportunity for middle and high school educators in the United States. The Peace Teachers program selects a cohort of dedicated teachers — one from each U.S. state and Washington, D.C. — to receive education, resources and support to strengthen their teaching of international conflict and the possibilities of peace. The 2024 Peace Teachers Program will run from July 2024 to January 2025.

USIP Peace Teacher

Bringing Global Peacebuilding into U.S. Secondary Schools 

USIP’s Peace Teachers program is rooted in the conviction that educators can be pivotal in bringing themes of global conflict and peace into their classrooms, schools and communities. At a time when violent international conflict regularly dominates headlines, teachers are the key to helping young people obtain the knowledge, skills and perspectives they need to envision their role in creating a more peaceful world and shape new ways to manage violent conflict. While educators often welcome this role, many face challenges — including a lack of information about how to teach peacebuilding or national security issues in an approachable format.

View the 2024 Peace Teachers  View Previous Peace Teachers  

The Program 

Through the Peace Teachers program, participants:

  • Develop a foundational understanding of the American approach to peace and the resolution of violent conflicts in countries around the world.
  • Discover new ways to teach about global conflict and peace in their subject areas and receive resources to integrate these concepts and practical peacebuilding skills into their classrooms.
  • Build connections with like-minded educators and USIP experts.
  • Serve as ambassadors for teaching about global conflict and peace in their schools and communities.

During the program, participants:

  • Complete USIP’s self-paced, online “Introduction to Peacebuilding” course.
  • Attend a virtual summer introductory workshop.
  • Lead their school’s participation in marking the International Day of Peace on September 21.
  • Design and implement an action plan for incorporating relevant USIP resources into one class.
  • Participate in monthly one-hour virtual meetings with their Peace Teachers cohort and USIP staff.
  • Evaluate and share their experience and the program’s impact.
  • Receive over 21 professional development credit hours.

Resources for the Classroom

The following packets of resources were created by USIP Peace Teachers as part of their program. The content was the teachers’ own work and as such, is not intended to reflect the views or work of the U.S. Institute of Peace. We encourage other educators to adapt these resources for their own classroom use.


At a time when violent conflict regularly dominates headlines, teachers are the key to helping young people obtain the knowledge, skills, and perspectives to understand how peace is possible—and to envision their own role in creating a more peaceful world.

The following ideas are drawn from lessons or activities created by past USIP Peace Teachers using USIP’s resources for students and educators

News about the Peace Teachers

For more information about the 2024 Peace Teachers Program, contact us at publiceducation@usip.org

Learn more about USIP’s resources for students and educators.

2024 Peace Teachers

Amanda Adams

Amanda Adams

Eagan High School, Eagan, MN

Colleen Al Mukhtar

Colleen Al Mukhtar

Katherine Johnson Middle School, Fairfax, VA

Whitney Andrews

Whitney Andrews

Randolph School, Huntsville, AL

Sara Asher

Sara Asher

Bishop Seabury Academy, Lawrence, KS

Chelsea Blair

Chelsea Blair

Academy of the Sacred Heart, Bloomfield Hills, MI

Maria G. Blake

Maria G. Blake

Cholla IB High School, Tucson, AZ

E.J. Bonenberger

E.J. Bonenberger

Ralph Chandler Middle School, Simpsonville, SC

Kimberly Bretz

Kimberly Bretz

Penn High School, Mishawaka, IN

Suresh Chiruguru

Suresh Chiruguru

LaGrange High School, Lake Charles, LA

Dennis Dias

Dennis Dias

KAPPA III Intermediate School, Bronx, NY

Lisa Dwinal

Lisa Dwinal

The Hockaday School, Dallas, TX

Staci Garber

Staci Garber

Kirk Middle School, Newark, DE

Danielle Garzon

Danielle Garzon

Grey Culbreth Middle School, Chapel Hill, NC

Emily Heinrich

Emily Heinrich

Discovery Canyon Campus, Colorado Springs, CO

Natalie Johnson

Natalie Johnson

SHAPE High School, Department of Defense Education Activity, Salt Lake City, UT

Ebru Keremoglu

Ebru Keremoglu

Kentlake High School, Kent, WA

Hannah Kuroiwa

Hannah Kuroiwa

Commerce Middle School, Commerce, GA

Samantha Le Vine Schmidt

Samantha Le Vine Schmidt

Bornblum Jewish Community School, Memphis, TN

Kiran Masud

Kiran Masud

Hillside Intermediate School, Bridgewater, NJ

Kent McConnell

Kent McConnell

Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH

Amy Miller

Amy Miller

Buckeye Central Local School District, New Washington, OH

Saras Naga Reddy

Saras Naga Reddy

Robertson High School, Las Vegas City Schools, NM

Michael Neagle

Michael Neagle

Curtis Middle School, Sudbury, MA

Brigitte Savard

Brigitte Savard

Montpelier High School, Montpelier, VT

Karen Tyler

Karen Tyler

Mountain View High School, Meridian, ID

Felix Yerace

Felix Yerace

South Fayette High School, McDonald, PA