The Teaching American History Grant program from the U.S. Department of Education provides selected teachers with resources and experiences to expand their knowledge and understanding of American history.  In 2009, Bedford County Public Schools, along with a consortium of other Virginia school districts and educational partners, received a Teaching American History grant for its program “American History in International Context”.  The program is designed to enable elementary, middle, and high school instructors to master the traditional elements of the nation’s history in order to enhance and deepen their understanding of the significant issues, episodes, and turning points in the history of the United States.  The project explores the various domestic and international influences and universal ideals that led to the founding of the United States and contributed to making it into the great nation it is today.  The grant will support a program of workshops and summer seminars for 25 teachers over the course of three years.  For more information on the United States Department of Education and the Teaching American History Program, click here.