The Social Studies Professional | June 2, 2026 | No. 471
"I look forward to continuing to serve you in new ways, and I hope that you, too, find ways to serve our community of social studies leaders. We are the authoritative voice in this space, and that only happens because of the work that every single one of us will do."
As her term comes to a close, NCSS President Tina M. Ellsworth, Ph.D., extends a heartfelt thank you to each of you for the opportunity to serve as your president over these past 11 months.
Sharon McMahon Keynotes at NCSS Summer Virtual Conference
National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) is proud to announce #1 New York Times-bestselling author, award-winning educator, founder, and philanthropist, Sharon McMahon as a featured speaker at our Summer Virtual Conference, running online June 23-24, 2026. Join us in celebrating 250 years of the American story and explore how pivotal events - from the founding to the present - can be taught in ways that engage students in critical thinking, civic responsibility, and historical understanding.
Higher Education Promotion: Any Social Studies Education Professor may register at full price and receive complimentary registration for the students in their class. Reach out to Education Programs Manager Keely Mata at kmata@ncss.org for more information.
View the full schedule, featured speakers, and registration details here.
Virtual and In-Person Attendance Available for Free Summit
Join thousands of educators and museum leaders in D.C. or virtually at the free Smithsonian National Education Summit: “Together We Thrive: Towards a More Perfect Union.” With 40+ sessions led by Smithsonian educators, the free multi-day event will unite leading voices exploring themes tied to our nation’s 250th anniversary. Learn more and register here.
Newly Published: 2025-26 NCSS Book Award Recipients
The 2025-2026 Carter G. Woodson, Septima P. Clark, and Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray Book Award recipients have been announced. NCSS members can browse an annotated list of the award-winning books in each category online here.
Take Social Studies Advocacy to Capitol Hill This Summer
Hill Day 2026 will be held July 15, 2026, in Washington, D.C., in partnership with CivXnow, a project of iCivics. This is a day of preparation and meetings on Capitol Hill to share the challenges social studies educators are facing, and the ways in which legislators can support us and our students. Interested in attending? Fill out this formby June 12, 2026.
NEW RELEASE! Teaching Social Studies to Multilingual Learners of English is a brand new title co-published by TESOL Press and NCSS. This book is designed to help English language educators in the U.S. teach social studies with equity and confidence. Chapters cover everything you need to effectively teach social studies concepts to multilingual learners, including:
