Teacher Institutes at the Minnesota Humanities Center

Information about the Humanities Center's seminars
The Minnesota Humanities Center offers Teacher Institute professional development seminars for K-12 educators. These seminars provide leadership, programs and resources designed to advance the study of the humanities in all educational settings and institutions.

"I expected a very well-organized, focused and intellectually challenging two days and I was not disappointed."

"I will be much better able to answer student questions and pose the important questions for them. I also now have access to new resources and web sites."

"[The presenter] was very excited and knowledgeable about the subject. He was easily approachable and willing to share his knowledge generously."

"Very informative and we were able to brainstorm some useful, creative lesson ideas!"

-Teacher Professional Development Seminar Participants

Schedule | Fees | Location | Overnight Lodging
Graduate Credit | Partners | Cancellation Policy

Schedule
One- and two-day seminars are organized around a specific content area, and are designed to connect teachers with both research-based classroom resources and high-quality scholarship. Every seminar provides teachers with more knowledge about subjects they teach every day. Teachers who attend these seminars find that their improved understanding and skills help them to challenge and motivate both their students and their colleagues.

Seminar schedules are kept flexible in order to make use of local museums, research collections and cultural organizations. Typically, the first day of a seminar begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. The second day generally begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m.

Fees
The registration fee for a two-day seminar is $145. The registration fee for a one-day seminar is $85. Fees include meals and materials. Lodging is available for the first night of two-day seminars. Because of limited availability for St. Paul seminars, priority for lodging will be given to those traveling from outside the Twin Cities metro area. For seminars that take place outside of the metro area, additional nights' lodging is sometimes available. Participants receive seminar confirmation materials generally via e-mail, including a schedule, one to two weeks before the program begins.

Participants and their schools are responsible for travel expenses and substitute teachers unless otherwise noted in a seminar description.

See our current seminar offerings.

Location
Most Teacher Institute seminars are held at the Minnesota Humanities Center, a great place for thinking and learning in a renovated historic building located on the east side of St. Paul just north of downtown. This full-service conference center located near Lake Phalen serves meals on-site and has available on-site overnight rooms and free parking adjacent to the Center. Click here to learn more about the history and amenities of our building or to see pictures or get directions to the Center.

Portions of some seminars take place at area museums or cultural centers and often bus transportation is provided for these special sessions.

Some seminars take place in other locations throughout the state at regional hotels, conference centers, or cultural centers. Recent seminars have taken place in Duluth, Bemidji, and Onamia. Be sure to check individual seminar descriptions to confirm their location.

Overnight Lodging Information
(for seminars at the Minnesota Humanities Center building in St. Paul)

Seminar participants who have reserved lodging will be housed in single occupancy rooms with private baths located on the lower level of the Center. In case of larger seminars, some participants may be asked to share one of our double occupancy rooms. Linens, pillows, and towels are provided; you will want to bring your own soap, shampoo and other toiletries. There is a comfortable reading chair and desk in each room. Each room has a clock radio with a wake-up alarm. Meeting, dining rooms, and sleeping rooms are in the same building. Each room is equipped with wireless Internet access.

The Minnesota Humanities Center is located within walking distance of Lake Phalen, a city park with a golf course, running and walking paths, cross country ski rental and an outdoor skating rink in the winter and a public beach area and boat rental in the summer. There is a guest lounge in the Humanities Center with a television and DVD player, a computer with Internet access, and a guest kitchen with a refrigerator. Books to borrow during your stay are available in the Library.

Click here to learn more about the history and amenities of our building or to see pictures.

Graduate Credit
Click here to find out the upcoming graduate credit due dates.

Two-day seminars can be taken for 1 semester graduate credit through the Hamline University Graduate School of Education for an additional fee of $110.
One-day seminars can be taken for one-half semester graduate or undergraduate credit through the University of Minnesota-Duluth for an additional fee of $48.50.

Registration for graduate credit takes place the first day of the seminar. Payment for graduate credit must be made during the seminar by credit card or check made payable to Hamline University (or UMD for one-day seminars). Payment must be made separately from the general seminar registration fee.

To earn the credit, participants are required to attend all seminar sessions and a Teacher-Developed Activity, or T-DA! This assignment is due within six weeks after the seminar ends. Learn more about the T-DA! format and requirements.

For some regional seminars, graduate credit may be offered through other colleges including the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Bemidji State University, and Minnesota State University Moorhead. Cost varies for credit from other institutions.

Please note: grade reports are not automatically sent to students. Students must request an official transcript from the college (or print out an unofficial report from the college web site) on their own. Instructions for obtaining grades are included on the assignment. Grades are generally available within four weeks after the coursework deadline.

For more information about receiving graduate credit, contact Kristen Hecker at 651-772-4281.

Seminar Partners
The Minnesota Humanities Center partners with national organizations, such as the National Endowment for the Humanities; local cultural organizations such as The Bakken Museum and The Minneapolis Institute of Arts; special research collections, such as the Kerlan Collection and the Givens Collection; and special research institutions such as the Immigration History Research Center and the Center for Medieval Studies. Most seminars are also cosponsored by teacher subject-content organizations, members of the Humanities Education Network.

Cancellation Policy
Request for refunds must be made in writing. A full refund, less a $25 service charge, will be made for requests postmarked 10 days prior to the seminar. No refunds will be made thereafter.