Professional Development Grant Awards 2026
We are proud to announce the winners of the 2026 Professional Development Grants! We received a wide range of proposals from eleven states and were able to fund four professional development projects for heritage educators this year.
Plum Bayou Mounds Archaeology Park, Arkansas. This teacher workshop will coincide with the Annual Training Program in Archeology to allow middle and high school social studies teachers to see real archeology and archeologists at work and to learn about the resources for teaching Arkansas history that are available from the Arkansas Archeological Survey.
Elkhart County Historical Society and Elkhart County Parks, Indiana. The historical society and park will host a Project Archaeology educator workshop at the DeFries Homestead at River Preserve County Park. The primary goal of the class is to build capacity in archaeology education among K-12 and homeschool teachers, collegiate professionals and students, and heritage and park interpreters in the Michiana area.
From Trowels to Teaching, Maryland. This project builds on the success of the first “From Trowels to Teaching” program in June 2025 and will prioritize community histories and places underrepresented in the historical record; emphasize Native American participation in the planning, development, and execution by collaborating with local Tribes; provide K-12 teachers with professional development that will result in publicly accessible archaeology lesson plans; and protect historic properties.
Project Archaeology: Investigating a Midwestern Wickiup, Michigan. The first Project Archaeology professional development in Michigan, this three-day workshop for local and regional educators will focus on Project Archaeology: Investigating Shelter and Investigating a Midwestern Wickiup. The entire experience will be enriched with oral history by a member of the Ojibwe tribe, field learning, and classroom-ready lessons.
Thanks to all those who submitted applications, and best of luck to our grantees!
