Becky Buck, the district Library and Media Coordinator, was chosen from a pool of nearly 200 applicants to participate in the 2026 Library of Congress Summer Teacher Institute.

Each year, the Library of Congress provides the opportunity for a select group of educators to attend one of its three teacher institutes in Washington, D.C. During the three-day program, participants work with library education specialists and subject-matter experts to learn effective practices for using primary sources in the classroom and to explore some of the millions of digitized historical artifacts and documents available on the Library’s website.

Educators attending the teacher institutes participated in and developed primary-source-based teaching strategies that they can now take back to their school districts, apply in the classroom, and share with colleagues. Teaching with primary sources is a powerful way to help students ask engaged, probing questions, develop critical-thinking skills and construct knowledge.

Applicants to the Library of Congress Summer Teacher Institutes reflect the vast world of education. Participants can include school library media specialists and school administrators, in addition to classroom teachers. Those selected represent large metropolitan school districts and smaller, rural school districts throughout the country. The expertise provided by the Library of Congress during the institutes support every level of education.