America at 250 in Idaho
250 Years of American Dreams: The Past, Present, & Possibilities
The Idaho Humanities Council hosted a weeklong summer institute, titled 250 Years of American Dreams: The Past, Present, & Possibilities July 21-26, 2025, at Boise State University and the Idaho State Museum. Twenty-five teachers from around the state participated.
As the nation prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the IHC convened this teacher institute to prepare teachers to mark this occasion with their students throughout the 2025-2026 school year.
The Declaration of Independence was the dream of the founders of this nation. They intended to create a shared inheritance of equality, liberty, and government by consent of the governed for future Americans. Ever since, lovers of this dream have striven to make their version of the dream a reality in every generation to varying degrees of success.
Our focus was on our shared past as Idahoans and our unique contributions to American history. For 250 years, the possibilities promised in this dream have inspired the diverse peoples who call this land home to fight to make this dream a reality. Long before the Declaration of Independence, Indigenous peoples on this land dreamed and planned for the future. As American settlers, immigrants from foreign nations, political refugees, enslaved people, and migrant workers moved into the Western part of the continent, they, too, brought their own dreams, ideals, and values to the region. At times, the dreams of each of these groups clashed with each other. What were the dreams, ideals, and values of these people? This commemoration is an opportunity to consider what dreams existed here before the creation of the American nation and the dreams of settlers and arrivants seeking the realization of their own dreams.
In 1963, the reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke to over 250,000 civil rights activists who had gathered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC to march for equality for black Americans. He said “…even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’”
As we commemorate the birth of the American dream, let us study our entire history: Idaho’s story did not begin or end with the Revolution. It is a rich tapestry, woven with unifying threads first expressed by our nation’s founders—including the ideas of individual liberty, representative government, and the attainment of equal and unalienable rights. Refined through expanding self-government and passed on to us by great sacrifice, these remain the shared inheritance entrusted to us and future generations.
Our goals for this institute were to:
- Explore full narratives in Idaho’s history to contribute to a better understanding of who we are, where we came from, and where we are headed. This is a story older than 250 years and there is not one way to tell it.
- Develop educational practices that invite students into the process and work of doing history. Explain historical methods so students can explore new questions, evidence, and perspectives on our histories. Using the Idaho State Archives and digital tools, we will explore best practices for teaching students the essential and irreplaceable skills of critical historical thinking, close readings, and evaluating sources.
- Spark deeper awareness about our history of acting in concert to promote the common good while exercising our individual rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and making compromises to honor the freedom of others to do the same.
- Bring attention to the people who are native to this place and this nation and how American settlement and expansion impacted those peoples and similarly, how Indigenous peoples have shaped and impacted Idaho's story.
- Cultivate civic honesty and patriotism that leaves space to both love and critique this country while never losing sight of our common bonds as Americans.
Participants joined in lectures and discussions, watched films, attended workshops, and collaborated with one another and our team of scholars to immerse themselves for the week in this important and timely topic.
Here is what some of our attendees had to say about their experience:
“This is my brain camp! I get to network with the most amazing people, and I develop solid knowledge and practices that can immediately be implemented in classroom practice. As a professional development junkie, I can state that the IHC Teacher Institute is amongst the top tiered programs in the nation.”
“I didn’t expect to become so connected with those that were in attendance. The scholars were very immersed with everyone else, as well as the IHC staff members. I expected some type of hierarchy yet felt the entire time that I was amongst intellectual equals. The amount of respect throughout was particularly meaningful as we had some incredible conversations and dialogue. I didn’t feel like I wasn’t meant to be there, and that led to some incredible experiences the entire week.”
“I attended the teacher institute because fellow colleagues highly recommended it, and it did NOT disappoint! I was hoping to get a better understanding of how to teach America 250 from a World History perspective, gaining so much more that I never would have known was possible. I wanted to see for myself why others enjoyed this form of PD, and came away fully enriched in so many more ways than I ever would have thought was possible.”
Questions? Please contact Johanna Bringhurst, Director of Programs, at johanna@idahohumanities.org.
Thank you for funding support from our partners.
Past Summer Teacher Institutes
For 40 years, IHC has hosted an annual summer teacher institute. Hundreds of teachers from almost every county in Idaho have taken part in this exceptional professional development opportunity.
IHC's Summer Teacher Institutes are made possible by the Endowment for Humanities Education and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
