Regional Teacher Workshop: Washington State

Join Mount Vernon Education staff and K-12 teachers from around Washington State for a FREE professional development workshop that will introduce new ways of thinking about student civic participation. Discover diverse historical and contemporary understandings of civic participation, and learn nimble, relevant, and culturally responsive teaching techniques to explore topics in civic engagement.

• Learn from academic and tribal community experts through presentations on civic engagement in diverse contexts.
• Gain confidence in integrating history and civics concepts to support student learning and engagement.
• Develop strategies for teaching of civics topics that align with the Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State curriculum. 

Featured Speakers

Johann N. Neem is an historian of the early American republic. He is editor of the Journal of the Early Republic. He is an active contributor to the conversation on higher education reform. His new book,"What's the Point of College?," seeks to answer that very question for our reform-minded era. His other recent book, "Democracy's Schools: The Rise of Public Education in America" examines the origins and purposes of American public education between the American Revolution and the Civil War. His first book, Creating a Nation of Joiners, published by Harvard University Press, examines the development of civil society in Massachusetts after American independence. Neem received his BA in history from Brown University, where he wrote his senior thesis on civic education under the guidance of Ted Sizer. He went on to complete his PhD at the University of Virginia under Peter Onuf. Neem is Professor of History at Western Washington University.

Pam “ Twoyah” James (Sinixt/Colville Tribes)

Pam has over three decades providing administration, training, and technical assistance expertise to successfully address varied social, cultural, governmental, and organizational needs. She has worked with hundreds of tribal and non-tribal governments, organizations and communities throughout the United States, Canada, and the Territory of Guam. Pam is a certified master trainer in the Neuroscience, Epigenetics, Adverse Childhood Experience and Resilience (NEAR) and Historical Trauma. Co-Owner of Culture2Culture a training and consulting company specializing in government-to-government, historical trauma, curriculum development, cultural and traditional preservation, and interpersonal development. She co-designed the curriculum for the Washington State Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs, for the “Government-to-Government Training” to improve the governmental relationships of Washington State agencies and the federally recognized tribes. Since 2000 she and her husband have conducted numerous full-day trainings for thousands of administrators and staff of state and federal agencies, non-profits organizations, educators, civic groups, tribes and others. Pam is also a co-founder of GrantVantage.com, a Native woman-owned, grant and contract management software company. Pam is co-founder of Native Strategies, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving to inspire personal growth, emotional healing and valued community service through culturally responsive training and consulting. Pam earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Evergreen State College and her Community Health Advocacy degree from the University of Washington. Pam and her husband Gordon have raised 6 amazing children, and with the birth of our granddaughter gives us the true meaning of the magnitude of this healing work.

Registration Details

• Teachers must be currently working in K-12 formal school settings in Washington State. 
• The workshop is limited to 50 teachers.
• Teachers will be eligible to earn hours towards their continuing education requirements. 

Questions? Please contact Lydia Schmidt at lschmidt@mountvernon.org.

Read more about the workshop from the Washington State Historical Society here.