Montana Teachers Can Apply for Week-Long Philadelphia History Program Through November 14

Taylor Olsen teaches social studies in Harlowton, a town of roughly 1,000 people where Main Street doubles as the stage for the annual Harlo Music Project. This summer, she and her student Ella Cooney spent a week in Philadelphia doing something most Americans never get to do: holding a first draft of the U.S. Constitution.

The experience came through the Young People's Continental Congress, a program that sounds almost too good to be true—a week in Philadelphia with all expenses paid, access to rare historical documents, and conversations with constitutional law scholars from Yale. But it's real, and Montana's National History Day program wants more teacher-student teams from the state to apply for next summer's session.

"This experience was by far the most beneficial thing I've done as a teacher," Olsen says without hesitation. "The trip amplified my desire to serve as a vessel to my students of historical stories that they can remember and pass along."

For Cooney, the impact was immediate and practical. "The experience for me has made government class so much easier with the knowledge I gained through speakers and the discussions among other kids and teachers."

The program paired 27 student-teacher teams from across the country last July for an intensive dive into American history and civics. Not the textbook version—the kind where you're standing in Carpenters' Hall discussing constitutional law with Justin Driver, Yale's Robert R. Slaughter Professor of Law, or examining documents at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania that most people only see in grainy photographs.

Running July 19-25 in 2026, the program covers everything: flights from Montana, hotels, meals, and access to Philadelphia's collection of founding-era sites and institutions. The timing isn't accidental—participants explore how the ideals debated 250 years ago continue to shape contemporary American life, a conversation that feels particularly relevant as the nation approaches its semiquincentennial.

The eligibility requirements cast a wide net. Teachers from grades 4-12 in any subject can apply, along with school librarians. Students need to be in 10th or 11th grade during the 2025-2026 school year. The teacher-student pairing is flexible—teachers can bring any eligible student they currently teach or have taught previously. Public, independent, charter, and homeschool students all qualify.

What National History Day in Montana is really hoping for is more pairs like Olsen and Cooney—teachers who see the value in experiential learning and students ready to engage with American history beyond multiple-choice tests. The program creates what Cooney experienced: knowledge gained through actual discussion and debate rather than passive absorption.

For Montana teachers working in communities where professional development often means hours of driving to reach the nearest conference, this represents something different. A week of immersive learning in the city where much of American democracy was hammered out, with colleagues from across the country and access to primary sources most historians would envy.

The application deadline is November 14. Details are available at nhd.org, with Montana-specific questions directed to [email protected] or nationalhistorydaymt.org.