Onsite Summer Program Participant’s Guide

Participants should plan to arrive for check-in between 3:00 and 6:00 pm on their designated arrival day. All departing airline flights on the final day should be scheduled after 3:30 pm. Once you have confirmed your itinerary, please email your plans to teacherdevelopment@cwf.org. Doing so will keep us informed of your arrival time. In the event you are delayed on your travel day, please call the Teacher Institute summer office at (757) 565-8247 and leave a message if no one answers.

If your travel arrangements are included in your Colonial Williamsburg scholarship, you will receive instructions for arranging your travel with our travel agent.

If you are arranging your own travel:

• Upon arrival, please check in at the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotel, which is located at:
  
  105 Visitors Center Drive
  Williamsburg, VA 23185

• Richmond International Airport (50 minutes from Williamsburg)
• Newport News-Williamsburg Airport (35 minutes from Williamsburg)
  Each airport has rental car and limousine services to help you get to Williamsburg:
• Tidewater Coach services Richmond and Newport News-Williamsburg airports. Make reservations online or call (757) 218-9539. Be sure to identify yourself as a Teacher Institute participant. Reservations must be made at least one week prior to your travel date.
• James River Transportation services Richmond International Airport. To make reservations call (855) 831-4343.

Amtrak serves the Williamsburg Transportation Center, located a few blocks from the Historic Area, with taxi service onsite. You may also call the Williamsburg Woodlands at (757) 220-7960 to make advance arrangements for a shuttle from the center; you will be responsible for providing the gratuity for this service. The Williamsburg Woodlands shuttle will not service the Richmond Amtrak station; to/from that location you will need to call a taxi.

From Interstate 64, take exit 238 onto Route 143 East. Follow Route 143 to the third traffic light and bear right onto Route 132. When you reach the traffic light go straight, then follow the signs directing you to the Colonial Williamsburg Visitors Center and the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotel, which are side by side:

105 Visitors Center Drive
Williamsburg, VA 23185

You should plan to dress comfortably throughout the session; the pace of the Institute involves 10- to 12-hour days, with five+ miles of walking throughout the day being common. The summer weather in Virginia is usually 90+ degrees with high humidity and occasional afternoon thundershowers. The extremely hot and humid weather can take its toll on those who are unprepared. Cool and comfortable clothing is a necessity.

Shorts and comfortable walking/athletic shoes (and possibly an extra pair, in case of rain) are highly recommended. Some indoor spaces can be chilly, so a sweater or sweatshirt may be necessary. Coin-operated laundry facilities are located at the hotel.

• hat
• sunglasses
• sunscreen
• bug spray
• umbrella, poncho, or rain jacket
• any medications you may need during the week
• photo identification
• camera and memory cards
• extra batteries and/or recharging cords

Items such as toothpaste, shampoo, beverages, etc., may be purchased at the hotel gift shops or vending machines.

As a Teacher Institute participant, you are required to complete a series of evaluations. In addition to a pre-Institute evaluation, you will also receive: 1) a post-evaluation which will be sent to you shortly after you complete your Teacher Institute experience and 2) a final evaluation near the conclusion of the school year. Each online evaluation will be sent to you via email and should only take 10-15 minutes to complete. Thank you in advance for responding to all the evaluations. Your comments and suggestions are essential to us for maintaining and enhancing the quality of the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute.

After you return home, you will become part of a network linking you to Colonial Williamsburg and to your colleagues through various media, including:

• Colonial Williamsburg Education Facebook page
• Teacher Institute mailing list

Continue to use these resources to keep in touch, ask questions, and create lessons. We hope to continue to hear from you as you learn and build your knowledge of American history in your classroom!

In addition to staying in touch with us, we hope you will reach out to your local media and let them know how your community’s history education will be improved because of your participation in the Teacher Institute. To help, we have prepared a 2024 sample press release for you to use.

The Teacher Institute staff encourage you to support American history education by writing thank you notes to those who support you and this program. For those of you who are receiving a Colonial Williamsburg scholarship, please take a few moments to write a special thank you to those who made it possible for you to participate. Also, be sure to contact your school district’s superintendent and school board members.

Taking a moment to say thank you will make a difference for thousands of students across the country!

When you return to school, we hope you will not only use the instructional materials, but also the experiences and the skills you gained and improved at the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute. Contact your school and district’s administration to let them know you are interested in sharing information from your Colonial Williamsburg experience with your peers. We hope you will share these materials, skills, and experiences with your fellow teachers through workshops and in-service programs within your district and at state or national social studies conferences.

As part of their participation in the week-long Institute sessions, many participants are required by their districts to develop an original lesson based on historical information and teaching techniques learned during their time at the Teacher Institute. If you are creating a lesson, especially if you plan to submit it to meet the requirements for college credit, it should follow the lesson plan template.

Even if you are not required to submit a lesson, we hope you will participate by sending us copies of your successful lessons, projects, pictures, and/or student samples. Many samples provided to us are used as examples to show to donors and other teachers what participants learn while at the Teacher Institute.

Attending a week-long Teacher Institute session provides the opportunity to apply for three hours of graduate education credit from the University of San Diego (Course Title: EDC-X759F). Credit will be given for attending all sessions and programs during the Teacher Institute and submitting one original lesson plan based on historical content learned while attending the Institute. Credit is only offered after the lesson has been submitted and approved.

Summer 2024 attendees (Course number EDC-X759F - 011) should submit an original lesson plan for review before December 1, 2024.

Lessons should be sent via email to: Teacher Development at teacherdevelopment@cwf.org

Colonial Williamsburg staff members will review each lesson for historical accuracy, uniqueness, and creativity. Once a lesson has been approved, you will be directed to the University of San Diego web site to complete the online college credit application and submit a $237.00 payment (price subject to change) to receive the three hours of graduate level extension credit.

We recommend that participants fly into Richmond International Airport because it has the most flight and ground transportation options to Williamsburg. Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport is a bit closer to Williamsburg, but it is a small airport and offers fewer flights.

If you are making your own travel arrangements—driving or flying—please contact us first at teacherdevelopment@cwf.org to inform us of your travel arrangements. Please plan to arrive before the 7:00 p.m. orientation on your session’s designated arrival day. If you are flying, make sure your flight departs after 3:00 p.m. on the designated departure day.

Accommodations are double-occupancy rooms. We make every effort to place you with the roommate you selected with your registration information. If you do not select a roommate, we assign roommates based on gender as well as trying to pair you with another teacher with a similar number of years teaching or from your geographical region. If you are attending with a group from the same area, we may try to contact your coordinator to confirm rooming lists.

We hope you will get along with your roommate as we make every effort to place you with either someone whom you selected or someone similar to you by gender, geography, and number of years teaching. Please be sure to be considerate of your roommate, especially regarding bedtimes, phone conversations, and cleanliness.

If you don’t get along with your roommate or encounter other difficulties, please alert your Master Teacher or Institute staff as soon as possible. We will make every effort to assist you. If it becomes necessary for you to change rooms, we will make every effort to make it happen; however, please know that we cannot guarantee room availability.

For an additional charge ($550 for a week-long session, $400 for a three-day seminar), private rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please request and pay for the single room during the registration process. Private rooms must be requested and paid for during online registration.

While we respect your right to privacy regarding medical issues, we do request that you let us know in advance on your registration form if you have special needs of which we need to be aware while you are here. Conditions may include diabetes that requires monitoring of your blood sugars, or a heart condition that prevents you from rigorous physical activity. Anything you feel we should be made aware of helps us make your stay as comfortable as possible. Please be aware that the Teacher Institute is rigorous and includes a lot of walking and moving about every day. Mobility is essential to successfully complete the program.

For those with disabilities, we encourage you to visit our Accessibility page. You may make the Institute staff aware of your disability with your registration information should you choose to do so. Institute programming requires 5+ miles of walking each day in hot, humid temperatures. Please keep this in mind when considering your individual participation. Please note that the Colonial Williamsburg staff will be unable to assist with pushing, pulling, or lifting any equipment that helps you with mobility.

Yes, all rooms at the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotel have air conditioning.

Yes, all Williamsburg Woodlands Hotel rooms have private bathrooms, hair dryers, coffee makers, and irons.

Refrigerators are standard in Williamsburg Woodlands Hotel rooms.

Most meals (and their gratuities) are included in your Institute fee. There are several unscheduled dinners on free evenings. The cost of those meals may be defrayed with money provided on a gift card you will receive.

Please let us know at the time of registration if you have any food allergies or alternative food needs. We make every effort to accommodate all requests.

Each meal will have a variety of options, including a vegetarian plate. Typically, breakfasts are buffet; lunches are salads or sandwiches; and dinners are plated.

We want you to be comfortable while you are here. Most participants bring shorts, t-shirts/collared shirts, and comfortable walking shoes. While sandals are also great, the streets and pathways in the Historic Area have shells, pebbles, and sand that may cause irritation. Some air-conditioned indoor spaces can be chilly, so you may need a sweater or sweatshirt. However, this is a professional development opportunity and not a vacation, so please dress appropriately. Many photos will be taken of your experience, and you may wish to share those photos with your colleagues and students.

Yes, The Williamsburg Woodlands Hotel has WI-FI access. The strength of the WI-FI signal in the Historic Area may vary significantly depending on where you are attempting access. Cell phone service may also be limited in the Historic Area, depending on your provider.

We do not anticipate changes to our schedules due to the weather. In case of lightning or other severe weather, we reserve the right to alter the schedule, but programs are rarely canceled due to weather.

Programming continues through all types of weather, including rain. This part of Virginia often experiences late-afternoon thunderstorms. It is important to bring rain gear like a poncho or an umbrella. You may also want to bring an extra pair of walking shoes in case your primary pair gets wet.

Much of the traveling from place to place is done on foot. Expect to walk 5+ miles each day as you explore Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area.

You are allowed to take pictures or videos almost everywhere during the Institute. Photography of all types is prohibited during the evening program performances and character interpretations. At all other times, we do ask that you take a moment to confirm with character interpreters that they are comfortable having their “likeness captured.” Otherwise, you are welcome to take as many photos as you wish.

The amount of money you bring is entirely up to you. Opportunities for spending include:

• midday water or snacks
• alcoholic beverages or bottled beverages (e.g., special label ginger ale or root beer)
• teaching materials (at many locations, you will receive an education discount on selected items)
• gifts for family/friends
• shipping fees to send home materials that won’t fit in your suitcase

Because of past experiences with participants who brought spouses and/or family members to the Teacher Institute, we discourage family members from attending. Past participants have discovered that an intense schedule and the need to network with colleagues after daily sessions made it challenging to find a balance between their commitment to professional development and desire to spend time with family.

All rooms, meals, and programs for the Teacher Institute sessions are reserved months in advance and are limited exclusively to Teacher Institute participants. Non-Teacher Institute participants cannot be accommodated at any scheduled programming (this also includes tours within the Historic Area). Participants are expected to attend all the scheduled programming to receive full credit for the Institute and to be eligible for the graduate credit.

Many participants interested in sharing the experience with their families have them join them for a few days after the Institute. Think of the tour guide you will make once you have all the historical content and anecdotal stories to share!

Teacher Institute will provide a schedule of events and a certificate of completion as proof of your participation in the program. Before you attend the Institute, be sure to check with your local school district for its requirements to receive professional development credit such as continuing education credit, clock hours, and professional development hours.

For those interested, college credit is available from the University of San Diego for the week-long Institute sessions. To receive credit attendees must participate in all the sessions and submit an original lesson plan (following the lesson plan template provided). For more information, see the Lesson Plans/College Credit section of this guide.