Past Teachers Institutes

The 2017 Institute, like those before it, was a collaborative effort of the Idaho federal courts, the Idaho Supreme Court, and the University of Idaho College of Law. Many of the teachers attending the 2017 Institute reported feeling inspired and excited to return to the classroom with, as one teacher put it, “new ideas and [information] to implement” in the curriculum.  Another teacher left the experience feeling “inspired” and planning to “bring this ‘inspiration’ into” the classroom.  That is the main goal of this Institute and it was heartening to read a program evaluation validating that “these kinds of experiences do make a difference.”

The 2017 Institute brought approximately 35 teachers together with federal judges, state court judges and justices, selected lawyers, and media representatives, in a series of interactive programs designed to enhance the expertise of the teachers on various topics relating to the rule of law. New this year, the teachers attended an oral argument at the Idaho Supreme Court and visited with the justices after the argument. As in past years, through a workshop methodology that utilizes selected master teachers, the Institute provides teachers an opportunity to create or improve their own lesson plans and other instructional materials for use back home. The Institute exemplifies the commitment of Idaho’s federal judiciary to outreach and education and represent a distinctively innovative collaboration with the state courts and the legal academy.