In Person 2025 Workshops | Week 1 | July 7-11

Instructor: Rachel Williams-Giordano

AP African American Studies is an interdisciplinary course that examines the diversity of African American experiences through direct encounters with authentic and varied sources. Students explore key topics that extend from early African kingdoms to the ongoing challenges and achievements of the contemporary moment. This course foregrounds a study of the diversity of Black communities in the United States within the broader context of Africa and the African diaspora.  During the APSI participants will have the opportunity to do a deep dive into the structure of the exam; including an opportunity to use the rubric on a sample DBQ. In addition, participants will learn strategies to pace the curriculum and prepare students for the course project. There will be time to explore project based learning activities as well as create a test  bank to assess student learning. By the end of the session, participants will have their first two weeks of lessons, an exam, as well as a collection of resources they will have access to beyond the session.

Instructor: M. Colleen Harrigan

This workshop is designed specifically for experienced Advanced Placement Art and Design educators, blending advanced seminar discussions with hands-on activities. Participants will engage with the latest developments in the Advanced Placement Art and Design program while exploring and discussing the nuances of the three portfolios. The sessions will focus on innovative ideation techniques for enhancing lessons in the Selected Works and Sustained Investigation sections of the portfolios, along with adaptable strategies for enriching classroom experiences and understanding recent exam grading updates and portfolio policies. With the College Board’s updates to the Advanced Placement Art and Design course, we will explore the portfolios through digital presentations and interactive discussions. Participants will examine the distinct components of each portfolio—Selected Works and Sustained Investigation—and review the curriculum framework and scoring rubrics in detail. Mock scoring exercises will facilitate a deeper understanding of the evaluation process. Throughout the workshop, there will be abundant opportunities for peer dialogue and collaboration, allowing participants to tailor curricula for Drawing, 2-D, and 3-D Art and Design to foster student success. Additionally, the workshop will provide insights on effective classroom management within the Advanced Placement Art and Design context, integrating individual and group critiques, utilizing technology and research effectively, and understanding the influence of historical and contemporary art in image-making. Attendees will participate in collaborative activities and resource development aimed at enriching their teaching practices. Active participation is encouraged, creating a space for the exchange of advanced teaching strategies and experiences among peers. Please be prepared to share your best teaching practices and student artwork, as well as images or video of your classroom space. As experienced AP Art and Design teachers, there will be an opportunity for studio activities each day. The workshop will provide art making materials for experimental activities.Please come prepared some basic personal art supplies for studio activities. The goal is to customize the workshop to meet the unique interests and needs of each participant, equipping you with the most current information to elevate your Advanced Placement Art and Design classroom experience. I look forward to the opportunity to collaborate and grow together! 

Instructor: Liz Cowles

Dear Fellow Biology Educator: Welcome to St. Johnsbury Academy during a time when biology is constantly in the news! This course is designed for teachers who are new to teaching AP Biology and experienced teachers who are looking for information about the changes in curriculum and the new resources; we will review the course changes for the 2025-26 school year. The workshop will focus on the following: 1) the foundation of AP Biology as articulated in the Curriculum Framework (the four Big Ideas, six Science Practices, etc.), 2) Inquiry-based lab instruction, 3) mentoring students be more successful on the AP Biology Exam. We shall discuss the College Board-instituted changes regarding student course enrollment, formative and summative assessments, laboratory ideas, and the resources that are available for teachers and their students. We will perform several laboratories and discuss the results.  We will review the many resources available from publishers, science supplies, and research institutions. The AP Biology Course and Exam Description (CED) is accessible online: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-biology-course-and-exam-description-0.pdf. I look forward to meeting you in July.

Instructor: Eliel Gonzalez

In this institute, participants will experience a complete overview of the AP Calculus AB curriculum with emphasis on appropriate use of graphing calculators, content and pacing of all 8 Calculus AB Units, and global review for the AP exam.   We will also review content and pedagogy in many topics including: related rates, area/volume, differential equations/slope fields, the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, implicit differentiation, and L’Hopital’s Rule.  A special focus on assessment and motivation will help participants incorporate new strategies to build a successful AP Calculus program.  We will examine changes to the AP Calc AB with emphasis on the Course Exam Description guide as well as AP Resources.  Participants are asked to bring a graphing calculator.

Instructor: Jeanette Stewart

During this AP Chemistry APSI, you’ll explore the course framework, the exam, and the new AP resources that will help you plan and focus instruction—and give you feedback throughout the year on the areas where individual students need additional focus. You’ll also learn about completing the digital activation process at the start of the school year that will give you immediate access to the new resources and will help ensure that your students can register for AP Exams by the new fall deadlines. By attending this APSI, you’ll gain deeper insight into the following key takeaways, among several others: Understand the Course; Plan the Course; Teach the Course; Assess Student Progress; and Engage as a Member of the AP Community. In addition, specific attention will be paid to the following AP Classroom resources: unit guides, personal progress checks, AP teacher community, and the AP question bank. This institute will center on the AP Chemistry curriculum framework, guided inquiry activities, AP Classroom ®, and the development of course syllabi. There will be an emphasis on acid-base chemistry, atomic theory, electrochemistry, equilibrium, kinetics, and thermodynamics. These topics will be reinforced with nightly take-home assignments. The laboratory component will provide participants the opportunity to conduct guided inquiry laboratories and hands-on activities with traditional laboratory equipment as well as  Vernier Lab Quest. Teachers will become part of a collaborative environment that fosters sharing of AP Chemistry teaching methodologies. Participants will receive materials such as CollegeBoard manuals, sample notes, guided inquiry activities, homework and laboratory exercises that can be immediately and easily integrated into their teaching of the AP Chemistry curriculum.

Instructor: John Williamson

This institute workshop provides an intensive exploration of pedagogical approaches and instructional approaches critical for the teaching of composition and rhetoric, with emphasis on their application in an AP English Language and Composition course.  Core topics include argumentation, close reading and critical analysis of non-fiction texts, and rhetorical grammar. Curriculum design will be a focus:  scope and sequence, teaching for understanding and transfer, skill scaffolding.  Concepts of assessment, including formative assessments and feedback as well rubric development and application will be integrated.  The course will also provide participants the opportunity to understand the Course and Exam Description (CED), AP Classroom (personal progress checks, dashboard, and test bank), scoring rubrics, diversity/equity/inclusion, and instructional strategies.

Instructor: Richard McCarthy

During this AP English Literature and Composition APSI, you’ll explore the course framework, the exam, and the new AP resources that will help you plan and focus instruction—and give you feedback throughout the year on the areas where individual students need additional focus. You’ll also learn about completing the digital activation process at the start of the school year that will give you immediate access to the new resources and will help ensure that your students can register for AP Exams by the new fall deadlines. By attending this APSI, you’ll gain deeper insight into the following key takeaways, among several others: Understand the Course; Plan the Course; Teach the Course; Assess Student Progress; and Engage as a Member of the AP Community. In addition, specific attention will be paid to the following AP Classroom resources: unit guides, personal progress checks, AP teacher community, and the AP question bank.

Instructor: Rachael Ryan

This course is being offered for the new and experienced teacher of US Government and Politics who wants to learn how to teach the new course that went into effect for the 2018-2019 school year.  We will also dive deeper into some of the content and skills of the course.  You will learn how to prepare your students for the exam with specific tips and strategies for tackling then multiple-choice questions and FRQs.  Participants will come away from the workshop with an understanding of the content of the course, how to pace the course, and how to design assessments to maximize learning and AP exam preparation.  Best practices and assessments will be provided and shared and at the end of the week, all participants will be able to return to their classrooms with new skills, unit assessments prepared and ready to implement, and a solid understanding of how to prepare your students for the exam.  I will also weave quite a few technological resources into the course that can be used by both students and teachers.

Instructor: Joe Mancino

This APSI helps teachers build a foundation for a successful AP Physics program. You’ll get familiar with the Course and Exam description and its many hidden resources. You’ll get to know the equation sheet and a bunch of the best exam questions. We’ll spend time working through and scoring this year’s exam as well as discussing the specifics of how the AP Physics exam is scored in general. There will be plenty of discussion, labwork, and problem solving. We’ll work on developing long term year-long plans as well as outlines for individual units so you can hit the ground running when school starts this fall. We’ll spend plenty of time on the more challenging parts of the AP Physic 1 course like Torque and Angular Momentum as well as Fluids. We’ll certainly work through the best ways to prepare students for each FRQ question type. We’ll discuss strategies for recruiting and increasing AP physics enrollment. Most of all, this is an APSI about meeting your needs so please reach out as soon as possible if you have any specific outcomes you’d like to see from this session.

Instructor: Brendan Murphy

During this AP Precalculus APSI, you’ll explore the course framework, the exam, and the new AP resources that will help you plan and focus instruction—and give you feedback throughout the year on the areas where individual students need additional focus. You’ll also learn about completing the digital activation process at the start of the school year that will give you immediate access to the new resources and will help ensure that your students can register for AP Exams by the new fall deadlines. By attending this APSI, you’ll gain deeper insight into the following key takeaways, among several others: Understand the Course; Plan the Course; Teach the Course; Assess Student Progress; and Engage as a Member of the AP Community. In addition, specific attention will be paid to the following AP Classroom resources: unit guides, personal progress checks, AP teacher community, and the AP question bank.

Instructor: George Jackson 

This hands-on workshop will provide participants with an overview of the Course and Exam Description of the AP Psychology course. Participants will use the college board online resources and participate in simulated AP readings in order to analyze past AP exams and plan activities to help students develop skills and master content. Interactive demonstrations, online resources and discussions will provide participants with opportunities to learn about how to integrate new research in psychology and best practices into their teaching. Participants will leave the workshop with a course outline and engaging curriculum to cover the topics and learning objectives in the AP Psychology exam. The course will also focus on the upcoming changes to the AP Psychology curriculum and exam.

Instructor: Jonathan Henderson

This workshop is based on the philosophy that understanding the conceptual structure of the course and the interaction of its component parts is essential to creating effective lessons and assessments in the classroom.  After briefly outlining the “architecture” of AP World History, we will consider proven lesson plans and how they serve as models for creating quality activities in the classroom. The new sequence and periodization of the course will be addressed as well. Teachers will leave with ready-to-go classroom materials, tech tools, curriculum guides, and assessment items as well as the informed ability to develop these on their own. A significant part of the week will be devoted to teaching the skills necessary for the writing component of the exam with special attention to recent changes in the scope of the course.

This five-day training will provide you with the tools you will need to implement an effective AP Seminar course. During this training, you will explore the Capstone QUEST by examining the components of the curriculum framework. You will understand how to use activities that organize concepts and essential questions to develop students’ proficiencies in the skills identified by the curriculum framework. In addition, you will examine the AP Seminar Assessments and develop classroom materials that prepare students to complete them successfully. Finally, you will learn about the AP Course Audit requirements and begin to develop a syllabus that meets these requirements.

This five-day training will provide you with the tools you will need to implement an effective AP Seminar course. During this training, you will explore the Capstone QUEST by examining the components of the curriculum framework. You will understand how to use activities that organize concepts and essential questions to develop students’ proficiencies in the skills identified by the curriculum framework. In addition, you will examine the AP Seminar Assessments and develop classroom materials that prepare students to complete them successfully. Finally, you will learn about the AP Course Audit requirements and begin to develop a syllabus that meets these requirements.

This five-day training will provide you with the tools you will need to implement an effective AP Research course. During this training, you will explore the Capstone QUEST by examining the components of the curriculum framework. You will understand how to use activities that organize concepts and essential questions to develop students’ research methods; proficiencies in the skills identified by the curriculum framework. In addition, you will examine the yearlong research-based academic paper and develop classroom materials that prepare students to complete it successfully. Finally, you will learn about the AP Course Audit requirements and begin to develop a syllabus that meets these requirements.