Recognizing the power of primary sources, ICS secured three regional TPS grants in 2016 to pilot Summer Institutes focused on “Teaching the Arab-Israeli Conflict Using Primary Sources.” These intensive three-day workshops immersed educators in nearly 30 primary documents, tracing the conflict’s history from its late 19th-century nationalist origins to the mid-2000s, highlighting key events and turning points. Participants learned Library of Congress primary source engagement strategies, such as Observe-Reflect-Question, collaborated with peers, and received ready-to-implement lesson plans and standards-aligned curricula.

This successful pilot led to the continuation of the in-person, regional model through 2019. Adapting to the pandemic, ICS then transitioned to a virtual format, expanding access nationwide to this valuable approach of learning history through primary sources and the resources of the Library of Congress.