Institute for Secondary School Teachers

This Institute is a collaborative effort of the Idaho federal courts, the Idaho Supreme Court, the University of Idaho College of Law, and the Idaho Attorneys for Civic Education. The Institute is primarily targeted to Idaho high school and middle school teachers of government, history, and social studies. The purpose is to enhance teachers’ understanding of the judicial branch of government at national and state levels and to motivate teachers to return to the classroom with new ideas and share that information with their students. The Institute is not simply a “talk at” program, but rather a combination of presentations by experts on selected topics, together with a set of workshop discussions led by master teachers with abundant classroom experience. Observations of actual court proceedings also may be scheduled.

The immediate objective of the Institute is to enhance the doctrinal knowledge, skills, and working tools of the participating teachers. The ultimate goal is to elevate the preparation of students for citizenship in a constitutionally framed democratic republic, by enhancing their understanding of, and appreciation for, the rule of law as well as the necessity of an independent, impartial judiciary to preserve the distinctive American republic. For more information about the Institute, please contact Professor Katie Ball at ktball@uidaho.edu or call 208-364-4994, or Russ Heller at russ.heller@boiseschools.org.