The William E. Hewit Foundation
and
The History Department at
The University of Northern Colorado Present:
Free * Online * Standards-based
seminar series
for anyone who teaches social studies
Earn up to 16 hours of CLD and continuing education credit
6pm MT Seminar Dates and Tentative* Topics
Choose as many or as few seminars as you like! Pick one, a few, or attend all 8!
Thursday, Sept 25th, 2025
Why are some topics in history being changed, debated, or hidden? Addressing the executive orders and demands on how social studies is taught.
Looking at the current political uses of history, executive orders, and the erasure of history in the U.S.
Thursday, April 9, 2026
Teaching Trump - Guest speaker Dr. Fritz Fischer: author, professor and Chair of the Board of Distinguished Scholars of the National Council for History Education.
The case for teaching and engaging with the Trump presidency as US political history.
*Why Tentative Topics?
Thursday, Nov 20th, 2025
My uncle said it’s all fake news and you can’t trust anybody. Things students hear at home and how we keep truth at the front of our planning.
Teaching primary sources, historical questions, and how to vet information so students can tell themselves what happened and what to think about it.
Thursday, Sept 24, 2026
Does my vote even count?
A practical guide to teaching voting, citizenship, and local government.
Thursday, Feb 18, 2027
Why should any of this matter to me?
Creating community focused projects and curriculum to help students get to the “So what?” of our current era.
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2026
Do Vaccines Cause Autism? And other questions kids ask about science, current events, and MAHA
Encouraging dialog and student inquiry into current challenges to the academic community.
Thursday, Nov 19, 2026
You can’t teach that!
Using the Colorado State Standards prescription and permission and resources for teaching “controversial” topics
Thursday, April 8, 2027
Topic TBD
Attendees will determine the topic for this lesson by taking a poll on current events and teaching challenges
The design of Researchers to the Rescue ! is to address the current events, topics, and climate educators are operating in today. If and when things change, we want to change to meet the moment and provide the most useful training for teachers. If an update is warranted, topics will be voted on by anyone registered. Regardless of the topic, the seminar dates will stay the same. All seminars will take place on Thursdays, 6pm MT.
What is Researchers to the Rescue?
Want to make History, Current Events, Media Literacy, and Civics more effective and memorable in your classroom?
Ready to fight misinformation and disinformation?
Need the tools to teach in this new age with safety and confidence?
Join Researchers to the Rescue!
A Free Seminar Series for 6–12 Social Studies Teachers
Open to every educator, but focused on middle and high school social studies levels, Researchers to the Rescue! will help us to feel less overwhelmed by the rising tide of misinformation and the pressure to teach civics in a fast-moving digital world.
This professional development seminar series, running from Fall 2025 through Spring 2027, is designed specifically for Colorado 6–12 educators like you. Hosted by Kelly Langley-Cook (University of Northern Colorado), with guest experts in media literacy and civics education, the seminars will be held virtually via Zoom — free, flexible, and easy to attend from anywhere in the state.
and you can earn up to 16 hours of CLD/Continuing Ed. Credit!
Why It Matters:
Most social studies teachers take only one political science course in college.
Only 39% of teens received any news literacy education last year.
8 in 10 students regularly encounter conspiracy theories — and 81% believe at least one.
Nearly 40% of Americans under 30 get their news primarily from TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.
As misinformation spreads and democratic participation declines, our students need tools to think critically about media, news, and current events. Researchers to the Rescue! is your opportunity to be part of the solution.
What You’ll Get:
Eight stand-alone seminars packed with practical, standards-aligned content you can use immediately in your classroom.
Free lesson plans, activities, and ready-to-go classroom resources aligned to Colorado social studies standards.
Tools to help students analyze media bias, evaluate sources, understand current events, and become informed citizens.
The chance to earn continuing education credits for license renewal.
A network of supportive colleagues and shared resources that will live on in the cloud (Google Drive) as open-access materials.
Content tailored for real classrooms with a focus on civic engagement and digital literacy.
Just one class, 2 hours or less, one time per quarter.
How It Works:
Attend just one, pick a few, or come to all eight sessions — you choose what fits your schedule.
Each seminar includes hands-on practice, collaboration, and expert-led strategies.
Expect tools you can try the very next day with your students.
Seminars are always 6pm MT on a Thursday
Join us and be part of a movement to empower students to become thoughtful, informed citizens — and bolster your confidence in teaching these critical topics.
Ready to be a part of Researchers to the Rescue? Sign up and bring clarity, confidence, and civic-minded learning into your classroom.
Contact Us
Reach out directly: kelly.langleycook@unco.edu
Kelly Langley Cook is a Lecturer in U.S. History and teacher educator in the Secondary Teacher Education Program at the University of Northern Colorado. With two decades of experience teaching Civics, U.S. History, World History, APUSH, AP World, and Economics in Colorado public schools, Langley Cook brings real-world classroom insight to her work with future and seasoned educators. Her passion lies in helping new teachers develop practical, inclusive, and engaging social studies classrooms.
Langley Cook has also served as an Instructional Coach since 2012 in the secondary and colligate levels, helping colleagues refine their teaching practice. This is Langley Cook’s sixth Hewit History Institute. Her goal is to bring high-quality, content-rich professional development to educators that is immediately applicable and never boring.
Langley Cook has been recognized with several honors for her teaching and equity work, including the 2025 DEI in the Classroom Award, the Sears-Helgoth Distinguished Teaching Award in 2023, and a DEI Fellowship in 2022 and 2023. A frequent presenter and grant recipient, Langley Cook’s contributions reflect her belief that every student deserves a classroom where their story matters.
