State of Montana Newsroom
Montana and North Dakota Historical Societies Partner for Series of Workshops
Sidney, MT — The Montana Historical Society and the State Historical Society of North Dakota are collaborating to deliver professional development opportunities to educators across the Montana-North Dakota border region. Made possible through the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Great Plains Region grant and coordinated by the National Council for History Education, this partnership aims to strengthen social studies instruction and expand access to quality professional development for rural teachers.
The collaboration addresses a critical need in the region. Teachers in rural communities often face challenges accessing the same level of professional development available to their counterparts in larger communities. Through this initiative, educators within approximately 250 miles of the Montana-North Dakota border on either side can participate in free workshops designed specifically for grades 6-12 social studies instruction.
The inaugural workshop, “Historical Thinking through Indigenous Histories,” took place on October 18, in Sidney, Montana, and attracted 20 educators from throughout the region. Participants explored tribal histories of the upper Great Plains using primary sources from sovereign nations in the area, including the Northern Cheyenne, Crow, and Lakota tribes.
The workshop content was crafted to align with both North Dakota’s Native American Essential Understandings and Montana’s Indian Education for All standards—a focus that addresses curriculum standards in both states while honoring the rich Indigenous heritage of the region.
“I’ve never enjoyed a professional development opportunity so much,” said one participant. “Everything was presented in an engaging and exciting way. The instructors had amazing energy, and I’m already looking forward to their next workshop.”
Two additional grant-sponsored workshops are scheduled for the coming months:
- Virtual Workshop—December 12, 2025: This online session will reinforce and expand upon the strategies and content introduced in the October workshop, making the training accessible to educators who may face travel constraints.
- Dickinson, North Dakota Workshop—March 16-17, 2026: This two-day intensive will focus on evaluating student-created historical research projects and provide participants with an opportunity to judge at the regional National History Day competition.
All workshops include coverage of travel, lodging, and stipend costs for attending teachers. Registration is open for both sessions. To sign up for a workshop, visit https://www.ndstudies.gov/curriculum/teacher-resources/workshops/teacher-workshops
About the Grant
Since 2006, the Library of Congress has awarded Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) grants to build a nationwide network of organizations that deliver educational programming, and create teaching materials and tools based on the Library’s digitized primary sources and other online resources. Each year members of this network, called the TPS Consortium, support tens of thousands of learners to build knowledge, engagement, and critical thinking skills with items from the Library’s collections.
The National Council for History Education’s work focuses on three areas: professional learning, community building, and advocacy. NCHE sustains relationships with educators and educational organizations and advocates for K-12 history education and the professionalism of teachers. The NCHE Great Plains region services North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and Oklahoma.
To learn more about the Montana History Day program, visit nationalhistorydaymt.org, or email nationalhistorydaymt@gmail.com. Additional online trainings are offered twice a month to help teachers learn the History Day process.
To learn more about National History Day in North Dakota, visit https://www.ndstudies.gov/curriculum/teacher-resources/national-history-day or email mrmilbrath@nd.gov.
For more information on the Montana Historical Society, visit mths.mt.gov.
For more information on the State Historical Society of North Dakota, visit https://statemuseum.nd.gov/.