During the 2022–2026 grant cycle, the International Institute's National Resource Centers partnered with the Center for Education Design, Evaluation, and Research (CEDER) to offer an annual professional development workshop for K-12 educators, geared toward secondary social studies, history, and geography teachers. Over the past three years, the collaboration has expanded to include new partnerships with Michigan school districts, allowing for more targeted programming in these subject areas.
Darin Stockdill, CEDER’s instructional and program design coordinator, and Amy Perkins, a social studies teacher and consultant from Lakeshore High School, lead sessions on content integration across grade levels and disciplines, along with interactive teaching strategies. The NRCs support the workshop by bringing in scholars and experts to present regional case studies that deepen global understanding in the classroom.
2025 CEDER-NRC Teacher Workshop
Seeds, Sustenance, and Spaces: Spicing up World History and Geography Through the Lens of Food and Foodways”
West Michigan Social Studies Collaborative
March 12, 2025
Muskegon Innovation Hub at Grand Valley State University
200 Viridian Drive, Muskegon , MI 49440
The West Michigan Social Studies Collaborative—a regional professional learning network supporting secondary social studies educators (grades 5–12)—along with the University of Michigan International Institute and the Center for Education Design, Evaluation, and Research (CEDER), hosts a two-day experience designed to help teachers enhance their instructional practices, explore innovative strategies, and connect with colleagues committed to advancing social studies education.
Presenters:
- Matthew Daley, Professor and Public Historian, Grand Valley State University (GVSU)
- Nicole Gitler, Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (OAISD), Future Prep’d Program
- Hannah Grisham, Project Lead, Teaching Comprehensive History Toolkit, Michigan Department of Education (MDE)
- Pat Horn, Local History Podcaster and Program Manager, Lakeshore Museum Center
- Lindsay Lane, Innovative Learning Consultant, Kent Intermediate School District (KISD)
- Amy Perkins, Classroom Practitioner and Fulbright-Hays Ambassador, Lakeshore High School
- Deb Warren, Farm to School Specialist, Muskegon Area Intermediate School District (MAISD)
- Ellen Zwarensteyn, Michigan Center for Civic Education
Speakers from the University of Michigan:
- Norah Aziamin Asongu, Winter 2025 African Presidential Scholar, African Studies Center; and Senior Research Officer and Lecturer, University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon
- Caitlyn Marentette, Masters of International and Regional Studies (MIRS) student, Center for South Asian Studies
- Geoff Emberling, Associate Research Scientist, Kelsey Museum of Archaeology
- Fime de la Fuente, Researcher, Perfecto Lab for Agroecology, School for Environment and Sustainability
For more details visit the event page.
Sponsors: International Institute, Center for Education Development, Evaluation, and Research – Marsal Family School of Education, Muskegon Intermediate School District, Kent Intermediate School District.
This event is funded in part by Title VI National Resource Center grants from the U.S. Department of Education.
For questions, please contact Jennifer Lund at jalund@umich.edu or call (734) 936-1538.
