From theatre performances to educator workshops, the library hosts events and programming throughout the year for you and your students.
Education Newsletter
Sign up to get the latest news, including first notice on new events and programming, from the library's Education Department.
Upcoming events
Food for Thought: State of Education
Tuesday, April 8, 2025 (DATE CHANGE)
6:30pm-8:00pm
LBJ Library
Taxes, Vouchers, and Books, OH MY! There are so many headlines and pieces of legislation proposed about K-12 schooling in Texas. How do we know what’s moving forward, what’s stalled, and what’s being implemented? The LBJ Presidential Library is excited to host their biannual Food for Thought dinner discussion, this time focused on the State of Texas Education.
Providing the update is Libby Cohen, Executive Director of Raise Your Hand Texas. Let’s reassert the educators voice in the conversation and examine the teacher’s right in the classroom and as a private citizen.
Join us on April 8, 2025 at the LBJ Presidential Library from 6:30pm-8:30pm. Registration for this event is $15 and includes dinner, riveting discussion, and a CPE certificate for 2 hours.
Educator Appreciation Night 2025
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
6:00-8:30pm
LBJLibrary
Educators are FAB, aren’t they? We sure think so! Join us at the LBJ Library on Wednesday, May 7th for the hippest scene and gnarliest celebration of the coolest educators in Austin. There’s no five-finger discount needed, as we’re asking teachers to come to this boss event for free– all you need to do is register by Friday, April 25th. We’re stoked to open the doors to the entire museum to our teachers and you can pig out on the food and drink provided. Plus, we’ll have some fun that’s outta sight!
It’d be a bummer if you didn’t join us– so make sure to register at the link below! Ya dig?
Translation:
Educators are great, aren’t they? We sure think so! Join us at the LBJ Library on Wednesday, May 7th for Educator Appreciation Night– great party of the wonderful educators in Austin. There’s no charge for this event, we want you to enjoy this celebration of you all for free– all you need to do is register by Friday, April 25th. We’re excited to open the doors of the entire museum to our teachers. Food and drinks will be provided. Come join us for a great time!
We’d hate for you to miss this– so please register at the link below.
Thank You For Your Service: Historical Memory of US Conflict Educator Summer Institute
Rosie the Riveter, Uncle Sam, The U.S. soldier, Appomattox, D-Day, Evacuation of Saigon
These monumental moments and figures have come to represent iconic flashpoints in the history of the United States. However, conflict is more complex, messy, nuanced, and multifaceted than a singular image or moment. Memory is more complex and messy than any one moment.
In this summer institute, participants will explore how we create a national narrative and historical memory of war and conflict– and how that informs our curriculum and instruction. What are we teaching? What is being left out? Who is being left out? Is the legacy we teach of these conflicts accurate? How can we help students learn from the past to navigate our current world? What are we really saying when we say “Thank You For Your Service?”
Explore the history of the United States from 1860 to the present through the lens of conflict, memory, and how instruction contributes to an understanding and creation of national identity. We’ll analyze the meaning behind the sites of memory, examine how tools of memory shape our understanding of conflict throughout U.S. history, and examine the modern tools of how students interact with conflict outside of the classroom space. From military ceremony to battles to ‘winners’ to video games, we’ve created a national narrative that permeates the study of history.
This program is open to all educators (PreK-16, pre-service educators, and informal educators) and all subject areas. The five-day workshop will be hosted at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum in Austin, Texas, June 23-27, 2024.
Program Objectives
- Analyze how public narrative of conflict shapes instruction
- Examine how to develop more comprehensive curriculum/instruction around conflict
- Explore the ways in which media can be used for student engagement and critical thinking
Speakers for the program include:
- Dr. Taína Caragol, National Portrait Gallery
- Dr. Kara Dixon Vuic, Texas Christian University
- Dr. Bruce Gleason, University of St. Thomas
- Lara Hall, Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library
- Dr. Mark Atwood Lawrence, University of Texas
- Dr. Kate Lemay, Army War College
- Dr. Marc Selverstone, University of Virginia
- Dr. Jeremi Suri, University of Texas
- Dr. Steven Trout, University of Alabama
- Dr. Robert Whitaker, Collins College
Application Information
To participate in this institute, educators must be selected through an application review process.
The application for “Thank You For Your Service” opens January 18 2025 and closes April 11, 2025 at 11:00pm CST.
Participants will be notified of their selection status by May 1, 2025.
Waitlist participants will be notified of eligibility by May 16, 2025.
Applicants will be evaluated for their anticipated application of the content of ‘Thank You For Your Service’ into their classroom instruction and supervisor support. Strong consideration will be given to educators who are 1) new to the teaching field, 2) who come from disenfranchised communities, and 3) rural areas. However, the goal is to have a participant group that is diverse, drawing from throughout the nation, subject areas, grade levels, and can support one another with curriculum connections.
Brought to you by the LBJ Foundation and its generous supporters, we are excited to provide the following for all accepted participants:
- 4-nights hotel accommodation
- Daily transportation to and from the hotel and LBJ Library each day of the workshop
- Breakfast and lunch each day of the workshop
- Resources relevant to workshop content and discussion
- $250 stipend
- Flight provided by Southwest Airlines
- Continuing education hours certificate for 36 CPE hours upon completion of the workshop
Participants will be responsible for:
- Travel to & from their home to Austin, Texas if not using Southwest Airlines
- Travel to & from Austin Bergstrom Airport to the hotel
- Dinner each day
- Local non-workshop based travel costs
- Any extra hotel nights and/or incurred fees
- A $50 non-refundable deposit to hold their place in the summer institute
We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat! Water Ecology in the Classroom
July 10-11, 2025
8:30am-5:00pm
LBJ Library
Peter Benchley is known for being the author of Jaws and a renowned ocean conservationist. But did you know that he was also a speechwriter for President Lyndon Johnson? At We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat! Water Ecology in the Classroom, we’ll take a deep dive into the great blue to explore the history of ocean science, the pivotal role sharks play in our ecosystem, and the ecology of water systems.
In this 2-day educator workshop, the LBJ Library welcomes K-12 educators and ocean lovers who impact student learning to submerge themselves into the study of ocean exploration, focus on what Benchley called “slimy, savage things” and “an impossibly perfect piece of machinery,” and how we can use all of these fascinating facts to engage students in your curriculum – maybe even sparking the curiosity of the next biologist.
Registration for this program is $30 and closes June 27, 2025 at 11:59pm CST. Registration includes classroom resources, breakfast and lunch each day, and 16 hours of CPE credit.
More than a Ballot, A Voice! Exploring the Power of Voting Rights and Civic Engagement
July 24-25, 2025
8:30am-5:00pm
LBJ Library
In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson said, “At times, history and fate meet at a single time in a single place to shape a turning point in man's unending search for freedom. So it was at Lexington and Concord. So it was a century ago at Appomattox. So it was last week in Selma, Alabama.”
At that moment 60 years ago, Johnson was calling on Congress to pass one of the most significant pieces of civil rights legislation in U.S. History: the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In this two-day workshop, we will honor the 60th anniversary of the passage of the Voting Rights Act by exploring the history of voting rights from the first shots at Lexington and Concord to the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Because, as Johnson says, “The history of this country in large measure is the history of expansion of that right to all of our people.”
The workshop is open to K-12 educators and any and all those who impact student learning. The workshop will combine cutting edge scholarship about history and law with engaging curriculum and pedagogical tools to bring that history to life.
Registration for this program is $30 and closes July 11, 2025 at 11:59pm CST. Registration includes classroom resources, breakfast and lunch each day, and 16 hours of CPE credit.
The Citizenship Project @ LBJ Library
The Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library proudly offers The Citizenship Project digital course, in partnership with the New-York Historical Society. This program will provide free online citizenship classes for United States green card holders preparing for the civics test portion of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) naturalization interview. The course covers EVERY question that could be asked of someone in their civics/history interview.
Participation in these classes is not limited to any age range or ability level. The only requirement to participate is having a valid U.S. green card. It is recommended to have a moderate level of English due to the speed of the course. This course would not be suitable for young learners (pre-teens and younger).
Courses are typically offered at the beginning of the year (January- February) and around the start of the school year (September- October) and are held 1-2x a week for 6-weeks.
Stay tuned for the next session registration period.
For more information about The Citizenship Project, see https://www.nyhistory.org/citizenship-project.
Professional Development
Schedule a workshop with us
We can also accommodate and arrange a workshop on a weekday (any time of year) when the museum is open to the public. Contact us at education@lbjlibrary.org for more information.
Civics for All of US
Free Civics for All of US Constitution Webinar Programs for K–12 Students
Join the National Archives for live, interactive virtual programs for K–12 students around Constitution Day, from September 13–25. Each 30-minute program uses primary sources from the National Archives to connect students to the big ideas of the Constitution. All events will be delivered via Zoom and participant comments will be shared only with presenters to ensure a student-friendly environment. Registration will close 24 hours before each event. Teachers and caregivers, register your students today!
This program is a part of Civics for All of US, the national civic education initiative from the National Archives. Our interactive distance learning programs draw upon the vast holdings of the National Archives to promote the knowledge, skills, and dispositions students need for civic engagement in the 21st century. Each program is led by one of our educators located at National Archives sites, the Center for Legislative Archives, and Presidential Libraries across the country.
Check https://civics.archives.gov/ for more information, including how to request a program for groups of 10 or more students.
Education Outreach Program
The LBJ Presidential Library Education Outreach Program strives to extend library resources to schools, teachers, and students in communities across Texas. An education specialist from the LBJ Library can *travel to your school, school district, or education service region to provide:
- Professional development for teachers (TEA CPE Provider)
- Educational programming for students
- TEKS-aligned lesson plans and resources
Topics include, but are not limited to, the presidency, civil rights, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and the 1964 election. All costs associated with bringing an LBJ Library education specialist to your site will be covered if any of the following qualifications are met:
- Title I school
- Over 50% of students qualify for free and reduced lunch
- Rural school or community
For questions about the LBJ Library Education Outreach Program, please contact Education Specialist Sheila Mehta at sheila.mehta@nara.gov.
Take a Look Back
Past Education Events and Programming
The library hosts numerous events and programs throughout the year tailored to educators and their students.
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