Teachers as Scholars
Princeton University along with the schools and districts formed Teachers as Scholars (TAS) and Executives as Scholars (AAS) to provide educators and administrators with scholarly and academically engaging opportunities. Princeton faculty and staff teach seminars on a variety of topics. Each seminar welcomes teachers of any grade or content area and district/school administrators. Seminars encourage lifelong learning for K-12 administrators and educators. The seminars page and TAS Brochure 2024-2025 list dates and topics.
Seminars last 9–3:00. But this format may change. Schools generously give teachers seminar-day release time. Participants are usually emailed or mailed readings one month before each seminar.
Teachers as Scholars includes educators and administrators of our member schools/districts across all grades and subjects. Our seminars are discounted for members. Non-member districts and schools can attend if space allows. Seminars cost $150 per person for one day, $300 for two days, and $75 for AAS seminars. For information on space availability or to join Teachers as Scholars, contact Ashley Taylor Jaffee, Ph.D., at 609-258-3336.
University faculty lead two-day content-based seminars for K-12 teachers through TEACHERS as SCHOLARS (TAS). Teachers can best benefit from seminars by exploring a text, topic, or issue during the school day.
TAS offers arts, humanities, science, and math seminars. Teachers choose seminars based on their interests, not grade level or content. Over 35 seminars are offered annually to 400 teachers from our 35 member schools and school districts.
History
In 2000, Notre Dame professors Ted Cachey and Julia Douthwaite launched TAS with support from the Woodrow Wilson Foundation and internal funding. By 2012, the Public Affairs team took over the program, expanding its reach across campus due to its positive impact. We invite you, as one of our top faculty, to inspire local educators with your passion for lifelong learning.
About Programs
TAS’s professional development program helps teachers reconnect with their intellectual passions, inspiring them to bring fresh ideas back to their classrooms. Seminars feature faculty from renowned institutions like Harvard, MIT, and Boston University, offering teachers the chance to engage with scholarly discussions and rediscover the joy of learning.
Most seminars are held at Harvard Hillel in Harvard Square, with additional sessions at sites like the Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston Public Library, and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. This year, TAS also offers three online courses.
College professors hold 2-3 seminars per year on their specialty.
Each day-long seminar is at Swarthmore.
15 Swarthmore College Educational Studies Department partner school teachers participate. You will be serve breakfast and lunch.
Eligibility: The seminar is open to all teachers, including non-TAS members, as well as their spouses, partners, and friends.
Enrollment: A $1,000 deposit secures your spot. To register, click the PayPal button below and complete the enrollment form after payment. Deposits are fully refundable if the trip doesn’t meet the minimum enrollment. Space is limited, and a waitlist will be maintained if it fills up.
Travel Programs
Seminar Leaders: This seminar is led by Tom Andrew, a retired Moses Brown English teacher, alongside Jeff Cowton, Principal Curator at Wordsworth Grasmere, and Catherine Kay, Education & Outreach Officer at the Trust. Participants will explore the Wordsworth Museum, Dove Cottage, and its surrounding garden and woodland during the seminar.
Tuition: $3,200 – includes lodging, a welcome dinner, Wordsworth programming, a full-day excursion to Ullswater, and a closing reception. Flights and train/bus transfers to Grasmere are not included.
Lodging: Rooms are shared, ideal for those traveling with a companion or willing to share a twin-bedded room.
Seminars
- Notre Dame hosted two-day seminars. Seminars are at least a few days apart.
- Seminar from 9 to 3:30 with an hour-long break for lunch.
Member schools collaborate with the University to offer free seminars to teachers and administrators. - After supervisor approval, schools provide alternate teachers.
- For attending both seminars and reading the preparatory material, teachers receive 15 Professional Growth Points (PGP).
- Participation is encouraged in all seminars.
- Regardless of grade level, content area, or administrative focus, teachers are invited to attend seminars on topics of interest.