The National Indian Education Association (NIEA) is excited to share an upcoming professional learning opportunity in collaboration with the Tribal Nations Education Committee, Minnesota Department of Education's Office of American Indian Education, and the Minnesota Humanities Center.
Come help us celebrate and launch the first four books of the Native American Lives Series! Written for middle grade readers, this biography series features Dakota and Ojibwe leaders and changemakers pivotal to both Minnesota and the United States, such as Charles Albert Bender, a World-series winning pitcher, and the first Minnesotan to join the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Learn how to do more with less! In partnership with the Minnesota Department of Education, the Minnesota Humanities Center proudly presents the Leading Elementary Social Studies Inquiry (LESSI) Institute.
Get ready for the 2025-2026 school year with a choice of educator-led sessions focusing on state, national and world history, as well as assessments, primary sources, and more. Connect with your history peers from around the state!
Explore the histories of America’s first peoples before European contact and connect them to the lived experiences of Indigenous communities today. Led by Dr. Brenda Child and moderated by Dr. Katharine Gerbner, this session will provide deep historical context, source analysis, and thematic framing.
This opening pedagogy session will provide a brief overview of the new Minnesota K–12 Academic Standards in Social Studies, followed by an introduction to the structure and goals of the Navigating U.S. History Eras pedagogy sessions. Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Social Studies Specialist Brittany Rawson-Haeg will guide participants in understanding how the series is designed to support inquiry-based, standards-aligned approaches to teaching U.S. History.
Join us for a special evening of reflection, story, and shared warmth around the fire (weather permitting). This gathering offers an opportunity to connect with the artists of Once Upon A Shore through a special panel conversation moderated by guest exhibition curator, Heid E. Erdrich.
Learning from Place: Bdote is an immersive, place-based learning experience that brings participants to sites of deep significance to Dakota people in the Twin Cities. This special session, offered in partnership with Saint Paul Public Schools, is designed for 4th–7th grade teachers and district administrators.
Dive into the development of the institution of slavery and multiple perspectives on European colonization and early American society. Led by Dr. David Aiona Chang and Dr. Katharine Gerbner, this session will provide deep historical context, source analysis, and thematic framing.
The Minnesota Humanities Center will be at the annual MEA Conference this year — stop by our table to connect with us and explore resources to bring more diverse voices and perspectives into your classroom.
K-12 educators will receive 1 clock hour. Develop strategies for fostering strong questioning skills across the five strands of social studies. Examine a discipline-specific question and how it supports deeper inquiry and critical thinking.
K-12 educators will receive 2 clock hours. Develop strategies for fostering strong questioning skills across the five strands of social studies. Examine a discipline-specific question and how it supports deeper inquiry and critical thinking.