Center on History and Education

Welcome to the Center on History and Education

Eight years ago, scholars from Teachers College and the Columbia Department of History joined together to propose the creation of a center that cultivated scholarship in the history of education, connected with teachers and educators to bring historical scholarship into their classrooms, and contributed to larger discussions about the teaching of history. They aspired to contribute to conversation among teachers, school administrators, and teacher educators about the relationship between history and the well-being of American democracy. With initial funding from a National Endowment for the Humanities Challenge Grant and a gift from Sue Ann Weinberg, the Center on History and Education was established in the fall of 2011. Under the initial leadership of Director Thomas James and Associate Director Bette Weneck, the Center established a set of public programming and research initiatives advancing the study of the history of education in New York City. In the years since, the Center has developed and supported a variety of projects that aligns with these aspirations.

In 2018, Ansley Erickson and Thomas James became co-directors of the Center. They are working to articulate a vision for the Center’s next phase of work. It will build off of the core ideas that motivated the creation of the center while emphasizing collaboration with local and national partners who can help co-construct and share knowledge about the history of education beyond the academy. 

We are excited about the possibilities for the future and look forward to sharing more information soon.