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PREVIEW

106th NCSS Annual Conference Chicago | Dec 4–6, 2026

GREETINGS TO ALL MY SOCIAL STUDIES 365 EDUCATOR FRIENDS!

elcome to the preview of our upcoming 106th NCSS Annual Conference! As social studies educators, we do not just teach a subject; we live this mission 365 days a year. From the classroom to our communities, and across our vast network of colleagues and friends, our shared dedication to shaping the future of civic life is what binds us together. This year, our gathering represents a crucial moment to recharge our professional batteries through thoughtful collaboration across grade levels, position titles, and geographic locations, ensuring that every student is equipped for lifelong inquiry and informed civic action. Our theme this year, Social Studies 365, calls on us to continue to push for social studies to be at the forefront of daily instruction, and to ensure that social studies educators are at the forefront of daily support and celebration. With a focus on the foundational practices that elevate our classrooms and strengthen our communities, this conference is designed to be an inclusive, supportive space where all educators can pull up a seat at the table. Whether you teach elementary methods or advanced high school history, and whether this is your first year or your 40th, your voice and your expertise matter here. We find ourselves navigating a deeply complex social, economic, and political landscape. In communities across the nation, a loud and contentious public debate has placed our discipline at the center of attention. Yet, it is exactly during these moments that we must remember a fundamental truth: Teaching social studies is not inherently controversial. Rather, it is the vital, nonpartisan work of equipping students with the tools to explore multiple perspectives, construct reasoned, evidence-based arguments, and see themselves as contributors in a diverse democratic society. To thrive rather than simply survive in this climate, we must lean into our similarities instead of allowing external forces to divide us based on our differences. We cannot do this work in isolation. That is why we are intentionally opening new pathways for collaboration across the entire spectrum of our community, seamlessly connecting national thought leadership directly to our affiliate councils and our vital associated groups. By breaking down silos and bringing educational research directly into actionable, daily classroom strategies, we ensure that every teacher leaves this space feeling uplifted, valued, and heavily resourced. We are committed to celebrating your tireless dedication and giving you practical, classroom-ready lesson structures that captivate students, cultivate critical thinking, and foster an authentic culture of belonging.

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Why Attend? • Inquiry-Based Learning & Primary Sources: Discover actionable, research-backed strategies grounded in the core pillars of inquiry and disciplinary literacy that will provide you with practical, classroom-ready lesson examples that captivate students, cultivate critical thinking, and bring history, civics, geography, and economics to life. • Civil Discourse in Action: Learn how to implement evidence-based practices that build community, foster a culture of belonging, and turn contentious issues into powerful, reflective learning moments. • High-Quality, Free Resources: Walk away with a robust toolkit of open-source resources, lesson plan scaffolds, and digital materials designed to support your daily practice without straining your school budget. Teaching social studies is a deeply impactful endeavor, and the educators who do this work deserve to be celebrated, uplifted, and empowered. Let this conference be your space to discover where your interests intersect with peer networks, to build lasting professional friendships, and to gain the tools necessary to return to your school community inspired to lead both inside and outside your classroom ... 365 days a year. I cannot wait to welcome you to this unmatched professional learning experience! In collaboration,

Joe Schmidt Chair, 106th NCSS Annual Conference Planning Committee President, National Council for the Social Studies

Stefanie Wager Co-Chair, 106th NCSS Annual Conference Planning Committee Past President, National Council for the Social Studies (2020–2021)

106th NCSS ANNUAL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE Schedule is subject to change. Tuesday, December 1 • Council of State Social Studies Specialists (CS4) meeting Wednesday, December 2 • NCSS registration (7:30 am–5:30 pm) • College and University Faculty Assembly (CUFA) meeting • CS4 meeting continues Thursday, December 3 • NCSS registration (7:30 am–6:30 pm) • NCSS Bookstore (1:30 pm–6:30 pm) • National Social Studies Leaders Association (NSSLA) meeting • CS4 and CUFA meetings continue • First-Timers Reception (7:00 pm–8:00 pm) • Pre-conference clinics (full-day, half-day, and off-site) • Chicago tours • House of Delegates (4:30 pm–6:30 pm) Friday, December 4 • NCSS registration (7:30 am–5:00 pm) • NCSS Bookstore (8:30 pm–6:30 pm) • Exhibit Hall open (9:00 am–6:00 pm) • Concurrent presentations: sessions, posters, resource rallies (begins at 8:25 am) • Conference opening • Featured speakers • International Assembly (IA) meeting • Illinois Council for the Social Studies (ICSS) sessions (Earn Illinois PD hours) • Chicago tours Saturday, December 5 • NCSS registration (7:30 am–4:30 pm) • NCSS Bookstore (8:00 pm–5:00 pm) • Exhibit Hall open (8:00 am–4:00 pm) • Concurrent presentations: sessions, posters, resource rallies • Featured speakers • ICSS sessions continues • Chicago tours Sunday, December 6 • Concurrent workshops • Closing speakers (ends at noon)

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FEATURED SPEAKERS AND PANELISTS Featured Speakers: www.socialstudies.org/conference/speakers Featured Panels: www.socialstudies.org/conference/featured-panel-sessions Friday, December 4 9:00 am–9:55 am Michael Matera, author, Fully Engaged: Playful Pedagogy for Real Results; co-founder, EMC² Learning Student-Centered for Student Success 10:10 am–11:05 am Leon Smith, 2026 National Teacher of the Year, AP Educator, Haverford High School #NCSS2026: Celebrating Social Studies 365 12:20 pm–1:10 pm Smith Brady, 2026 Illinois Teacher of the Year, Naperville High School Samantha Futrell, 2024 NCSS Secondary Teacher of the Year, Master Teacher, Strategic Cultural Partnerships, William & Mary

2:00 pm–2:50 pm Garrett M. Graff, historian, Pulitzer finalist, and author America in 25 Revolutions: The Story of Our Imperfect Nation’s 250-Year Quest to Become a More Perfect Union Generously sponsored by Simon & Schuster 2:00 pm–2:50 pm State of Illinois Judges Students, Civic Mission Schools Justice Dialogues: Student-Led Civic Conversations for Social Studies 365 Collaboration by the Civic Mission Schools Network, the American Bar Association Division for Public Education, and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois 3:05 pm–3:55 pm Zachary Cote, Executive Director, Thinking Nation

Kate Van Haren, 2024 NCSS Elementary Teacher of the Year, Pittsville School District

Donna Paoletti Phillips, President and CEO, Center for Civic Education

Prince Johnson, 2026 New York Teacher of the Year, Food and Finance High School

Joe Schmidt, President, NCSS; Executive Director of K–12 Education, Colonial Williamsburg

Kimberly Sixta, 2026 Missouri Teacher of the Year, Ruskin High School

Sarah Schwartz, Staff Writer, Education Week Commemorating America250, Commencing America250+: Social Studies and the Future of Our Constitutional Democracy Hosted by Thinking Nation

Leon Smith, 2026 National Teacher of the Year, AP Educator, Haverford High School The Power of Social Studies: A Conversation with Award-Winning Social Studies Teachers 12:20 pm–1:10 pm Lesa Cline-Ransome, author, Freedom to Read: The Story of Teacher Mary Peake and One Mighty Oak Tree James E. Ransome, illustrator, Freedom to Read: The Story of Teacher Mary Peake and One Mighty Oak Tree From History to Hope: Writing and Illustrating Stories from our Past Generously sponsored by Simon & Schuster

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3:05 pm–3:55 pm Anne Nash, Senior Program Manager, Google for Education The Educator’s Blueprint for AI in the Classroom: The AI Curriculum Integration Framework

FEATURED SPEAKERS AND PANELISTS

3:05–3:55 pm Indira Lakshmanan, Host, Here and Now Chad Nackers, Editor-In-Chief, Onion Peter Sagal, Host, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! Bowdeya Tweh, Chicago Bureau Chief, The Wall Street Journal What Would We Talk About Without News? How Original Reporting Powers the Information Ecosystem Hosted by News Literacy Project 4:10 pm–5:00 pm Austin Berg, Executive Director, Chicago Policy Center; Marketing VP, Illinois Policy Institute Allan Carey, Dir. of Sphere Ed. Initiatives, Cato Institute Mary Ellen Daneels, Chief Learning & Innovation Officer, Civic Mission Schools Network; Director, Illinois Civic Hub and Illinois Democracy Schools Network. Walter Olson, Senior Fellow, Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies, Cato Institute After the Vote: Civil Discourse on Navigating Division, Rhetoric, and Democratic Outcomes Hosted by Sphere Education Initiatives 5:15 pm–6:05 pm Laila Ali, Champion boxer and author, A Spark of Greatness The Power of Being Seen Generously sponsored by Penguin Random House Saturday, December 5 8:35 am–9:25 am Eve L. Ewing, Associate Professor, Department of Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity, University of Chicago; writer, scholar, and cultural organizer Eve L. Ewing on Original Sins Generously sponsored by Penguin Random House 9:40 am–10:30 am Nell K. Duke, Exec. Dir., Center for Early Literacy and Learning Success, Stand for Children; Professor of Ed. and Psychology, Marsal Family School of Ed., Univ. of Michigan Standing Up for Social Studies: Resisting Reading’s Curricular Colonization

9:40 am–10:30 am Megan Jones, Vice President of Education Programs, 9/11 Memorial & Museum Olivia Perez-Johntry, 9/11 Legacy Speaker and High School Science Teacher Terri Tobin, retired Chief of Interagency Operations, NYPD; 9/11 First Responder Two Lives, One Morning: A 9/11 First Responder and Family Member in Conversation Hosted by 9/11 Memorial & Museum 9:40 am–10:30 am Edward Ayers, Executive Director, New American History The Ecology of the History Community 10:45 am–11:35 am Reginald Dwayne Betts, Poet, Lawyer, and Founder and CEO, Freedom Reads Danielle Bierzynski, Sr. Manager, Content Development, PBS LearningMedia Lynn Novick, Award-winning Documentarian, Skiff Mountain Films Kerry Sautner, President & CEO, Eastern State Historical Site Crime and Punishment in America: A Conversation With Filmmakers and Educators Hosted by PBS LearningMedia 1:00 pm-1:50 pm Jill Bass, Chief Strategy Officer, Mikva Challenge Linda Becker, US History and AP Government Teacher, George Westinghouse College Prep, Chicago Public Schools Ousmane Diop, Freshman Student, Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, Chicago Public Schools Karina Padilla, ELA and Social Science Literacy Coach, Chicago Public Schools Project Soapbox: Amplifying Student Civic Voice Hosted by Mikva Challenge

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FEATURED SPEAKERS AND PANELISTS

1:00 pm–1:50 pm Shannon Pugh, Past President, NCSS; Director of Strategic Initiatives, Anne Arundel County Public Schools Jennifer Sayed, Doctoral Student, Teaching and Learning, Southern Methodist University Joe Schmidt, President, NCSS; Executive Director of K–12 Education, Colonial Williamsburg Asif Wilson, Associate Professor of Social Studies Education, Department of Curriculum & Instruction, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Annie McMahon Whitlock, Vice President, NCSS; Associate Professor, History and Social Studies, Grand Valley State University Re-Envisioning Excellence: The Updated NCSS Curriculum Standards and C3 Framework 2:45 pm–3:35 pm Joel Breakstone, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Digital Inquiry Group Sam Wineburg, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Digital Inquiry Group Reading Like a Historian in the Age of AI Hosted by Digital Inquiry Group 2:45 pm–3:35 pm Abigail Dym, Political Scientist and Assistant Professor of Education, Bowdoin College

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Danyael Graham, Supervisor of Social Science and Global Studies, Loudoun County Public Schools

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Emma Humphries, Chief Education Officer, iCivics Paul LaRue, Retired Social Studies Teacher, Washington Court House City Schools Implementing HQIM in the Social Studies: Why Our Playbook is Different Hosted by iCivics 3:50 pm–4:40 pm Jeremy Stoddard, Professor of Curriculum & Instruction, University of Wisconsin–Madison Thomas Owenby, Associate Dean for Teacher Education and Director of Teacher Education Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison Aiko Wolf, Social Studies Teacher, West High School Erin Cook, 8th-Grade US History Teacher, Milwaukee School of Languages Toni Johns, History Teacher, LaFollette High School Mallory Hudson, Social Studies Teacher, Muskego High School Alejandro Robinson, Social Studies and Dual Language Teacher, Verona Area High School Emily Behrendt, Social Studies Teacher, Vel Phillips Memorial High School More than Surviving: Developing as Professionals in the Early Career Years

A LOOK AT WHAT’S AHEAD

Get a glimpse of a sampling of 500+ presentations offered at the 106th NCSS Annual Conference. Plan your experience with descriptions for all sessions available soon at www.socialstudies.org/conference/schedule Please note: This sample listing of sessions is preliminary and subject to change. Elementary Empowering Young Voices: K–5 Culturally Responsive Inquiries to Drive Civic Action Discover culturally responsive mini-inquiries and leave with actionable tools that empower K–5 students to use their voices, analyze diverse sources, and take informed action in their communities. Putting the Social Back into Social Studies: Practical Structures for Collaborative Inquiry Move beyond coverage to collaboration. Discover classroomready inquiry routines that help elementary students analyze evidence, engage in meaningful discourse, and build democratic habits together. Dr. Gholdy Muhammad’s Genius and Joy: The Groundbreaking K–5 Curriculum Transforming Learning Discover Dr. Gholdy Muhammad’s Genius and Joy curriculum for Grades K–5. This groundbreaking approach celebrates student achievement through meaningful, identity-affirming, and engaging learning experiences that spark curiosity and growth. Field to Film: Creative Place-Based Social Studies Curriculum in the Elementary Classroom Teaching social studies with proximity, play, purpose, and production transforms curriculum into meaningful and memorable experiences for students and teachers alike. Big Thinking for Little Historians Elementary students think like historians when primary sources create excitement and spark curiosity! Discover an engaging strategy to build historical thinking and civic learning by using bite-size, contextualized primary sources. Middle School Does Saving One Life Save the World? Teaching the Kindertransport Through Inquiry This presentation highlights a middle-school lesson using the picturebook Stars of the Night: The Courageous Children of the Czech Kindertransport to anchor inquiry-based historical and civic learning about the Holocaust.

From Club to Course: Student Government 365 What happens when student government becomes part of the school day? Learn how transforming SGA into a course embeds civic practice into daily learning—bringing Social Studies 365 to life. Daily Habits of High-Impact Civics Classrooms: Conversations with the ACETA Award Winners Award-winning civics educators share practical strategies for sustaining civic inquiry, discourse, and democratic learning across the school year, connecting educators to ideas, inspiration, and community. Land, Labor, and the Making of Chicago In this interactive workshop, participants experience and analyze a place-based urban history unit exploring how Indigenous dispossession, slavery, labor migration, and housing policy shaped Chicago’s formation and present geography. Digital Footprint Forensics: A CSI Approach to Teaching Online Identity Turn students into digital detectives! This ready-to-use forensics lesson teaches civic responsibility through the analysis of real-world social media footprints. ESOL in Social Studies & Beyond: Growing Language Proficiency Through Content Transform your classroom by integrating ESOL strategies with inquiry-based social studies. Learn to use civil discourse and primary sources to grow language proficiency while making content accessible for every student. Secondary Educators as Advocates: Turning Classroom Experience into Policy Impact Turn classroom insight into policy influence. This session shares a practical advocacy framework, examples from personal finance and economics education policy, and strategies to secure training, resources, and implementation support.

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A LOOK AT WHAT’S AHEAD

The Classroom All Around Us: Building Belonging Through Place-Based Learning Transform local roots into real-life lessons with place-based learning! Move beyond classroom walls to foster deep, emotional connections and impactful, real-world learning that truly sticks for every student.

Utilization of Primary Sources in Methods Courses to Develop More Effective Educators The presenters will focus on how teacher educators can incorporate engaging and authentic approaches for teaching with primary sources in methods courses with a goal of creating critically thinking citizens.

Learning from Educators: Civic Engagement and Resistance Under Nazi Germany Explore how the civic choices of educators and resisters under Nazi Germany can inspire your students, and you, to embrace active, informed citizenship in their own communities.

Economics 365: Reclaiming AP Economics as Daily Civic Literacy Reimagine AP Economics as daily civic literacy. Use inquirydriven strategies to link economic models to real-world policies, enabling students to analyze trade-offs, evaluate evidence, and support democratic participation

Religious Literacy as Global Competence: Preparing Students for a Pluralistic World Religious literacy is global competence. This interactive workshop offers constitutionally grounded, inquiry-based strategies that help social studies teachers integrate religious diversity into daily instruction across grade levels and courses.

Teacher Education Programs and the Shaping of Teachers’ Civic Education Ideologies This poster session will showcase dissertation-level research and results on the influence of teacher education preparation programs on the civic education ideologies of novice secondary social studies teachers in Tennessee.

Process over Product: Reimagining Social Studies Assessment in the Agentic AI Era Generative AI no longer just answers prompts; it plans, researches, and produces polished work independently. Yet social studies assessment lags behind. This interactive session offers practical process shifts for AI-driven inquiry. Personal Finance as Civic Education: Where Does Your Tax Dollar Go? Social studies teachers are increasingly teaching personal finance. Experience free, interactive resources—from hands-on activities to daily current-events prompts—that you can implement in your classroom tomorrow. Higher Education Beyond Compliance: Building a Culture of Inquiry in Social Studies Programs Stop checking boxes and start building community! This session offers a framework for unifying faculty by transforming program evaluation into a collaborative, inquiry-based act of professional advocacy.

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Supervisor/Administrative Who Paid for It? Doing Your Homework on Curriculum and PD This interactive workshop introduces practical tools to research curriculum providers, analyze organizational context, and make informed decisions about instructional resources and professional learning opportunities. Future-Ready Social Studies: (re)Designing for Daily Durable Skills This session will show educators how to embed durable skills (such as communication, collaboration, problem-solving) in daily social studies instruction, preparing students to thrive in college, career, and civic life. Vicarious Trauma, Compassion Fatigue, and Self-Care: Supporting Students and Ourselves Participants will engage in reflective and interactive activities, explore self-care routines, and learn to support students experiencing stress. Attendees will leave with tools to maintain resilience while fostering a supportive environment.

PRE-CONFERENCE CLINICS

NCSS pre-conference clinics feature in-depth, hands-on sessions. When you attend an NCSS clinic, you will gain practical knowledge and skills you can apply immediately in your classroom. Full descriptions are available through registration at www.socialstudies.org/conference/registration Date

Time

Wednesday, December 2

8:30 am–5:00 pm

From 1776 to “Yes We Can”: Creating Civic Changemakers in the Classroom

The Obama Presidential Center

7:00 am–8:00 pm

Lincoln’s World Unlocked: Examining Civic Identity Through Historical Spaces

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

8:30 am–1:00 pm

Democratic Classroom Observation: Harnessing Youth Voice and Civic Engagement

Mikva Challenge

9:00 am–12:00 pm

Building a Civil Discourse Credential: Curriculum, Assessment, and Implementation

Hyatt Regency Chicago

9:00 am–12:00 pm

Modeling Feudalism Through Hybrid Multiplayer Simulation: A Systems-Based Approach to World History

Hyatt Regency Chicago

9:00 am–12:00 pm

Next Gen PBL

Hyatt Regency Chicago

9:00 am–12:30 pm

iCivics Advocacy Clinic: Civic Education Policy Primer

Hyatt Regency Chicago

9:00 am–4:00 pm

Tasting History

Hyatt Regency Chicago

9:00 am–4:00 pm

Indigenous Education: Peoples and Nations; Past, Present, and Futures

Field Museum

9:30 am–12:30 pm

Teaching American Religious History in the Archives

Newberry Library

10:00 am–12:00 pm

Greetings from Chicago! Teaching Like a Tour Guide

Chicago Cultural Center

1:00 pm–3:00 pm

Greetings from Chicago! Teaching Like a Tour Guide

Chicago Cultural Center

1:00 pm–4:00 pm

Centering Indigenous Voices and Authentic Co-Curation: Classroom Applications of Museum Best Practices

Field Museum

1:00 pm–4:00 pm

Deep Dive on Graphic Historical Inquiries: 1874 Vicksburg Massacre

Hyatt Regency Chicago

1:00 pm–4:00 pm

Learn an Interdisciplinary Method to Build Speaking, Listening, and Thinking Skills

Hyatt Regency Chicago

1:00 pm–4:00 pm

Toward Just Learning Environments: Teaching and Learning With and About Native Peoples

Hyatt Regency Chicago

Location

Photography by Chip Dizáard Studios

Thursday, December 3

Clinic Title

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CHICAGO TOURS

Chicago offers history, culture, architecture, and civic stories around every corner. Experience the people, places, and events that have shaped the city—and the nation—through specially curated tours designed for NCSS attendees. Take a break from conference sessions or extend your day beyond the Hyatt Regency Chicago to explore all that the Windy City has to offer. More tours to be added. Full descriptions are available through registration at www.socialstudies.org/conference/registration Date

Time

Tour Title

Fee

1:00 pm–4:00 pm

Item Inquiry Through a Native Lens: Fostering Culturally Responsive Curiosity

$30

Friday, December 4 and Saturday, December 5

2:00 pm–4:00 pm

Anne Frank: The Exhibition—Timed Entry at Griffin Museum of Science and Industry

$40

Friday, December 4

4:00 pm–5:00 pm

Willis Tower Skydeck Experience

$40

Sunday, December 6

9:00 am–10:00 am

Willis Tower Skydeck Experience

$40

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Friday, December 4

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Above: The Griffin Museum, Chicago. Photo by Warrren LeMay, https://www.flickr.com/photos/ warrenlemay/54213589165/in/photostream/ Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (the photo is cropped).

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106th NCSS ANNUAL CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS AND SPECIAL EVENTS

In addition to more than 500 presentations, the conference includes a number of features designed to provide more learning opportunities and enhance your experience.

Photo by Claire Fridkin, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en (image is cropped)

Wednesday, December 2, 8:30 am–3:30 pm DBQ National Summit Join The DBQ Project at our Annual Summit for Social Studies leaders as we explore successful DBQ-based literacy models. Come away from this high-powered day of learning with concrete suggestions on building teacher leader cohorts and a successful spiraling curriculum in your grades 3–12 social studies classrooms. Contact info@dbqproject.com for more registration information.

Thursday, December 3, 9:00 am–5:00 pm Bring Change Home: Exploring the Obama Presidential Center* Get inspired during this full-day clinic at the Obama Presidential Center! Engage with Obama Foundation staff and leadership as we explore the Obama Presidential Center and Museum, the Obamas’ legacies, and changemakers of past and present. Through discussions with former Obama administration leaders and access to classroom resources and special experiences, educators will get behind-thescenes knowledge and tools to assist in future field trips to the Center and other cultural institutions. * Separate application required and can be found when registering online.

Friday, December 4 and Saturday, December 5, all conference day NCSS Technology Community Tech Lounge Join the NCSS Tech Community to dig into some learning experiences with game-changing tech tools that promote student action. Stick around to network with teachers and connect to industry leaders. One-on-one tech tutorials, tech teaching materials, tech ideas, and more. Friday, December 4, 8:25 am–10:00 am Teaching with Primary Sources Poster Presentations Join Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources partners and grant recipients to learn about the activities they have created that integrate primary sources and classroom activities across the grade spectrum. You’ll find an abundance of resources and ideas you can apply directly to your teaching. Saturday, December 5, 9:40 am–11:35 am A Master Class in High-Engagement History In this high energy, immersive master class, participants won’t just hear about engagement. They will experience it from the student’s perspective. Through classroom-tested activities, collaborative challenges, and purposeful reflection, you’ll discover how engagement, cognitive science, Universal Design for Learning, and intentional instructional design work together to create learning experiences that are accessible, rigorous, and memorable. Expect to think, build, collaborate, create, and reflect in a fast-paced environment that mirrors today’s studentcentered history classroom. You’ll leave with adaptable lesson structures and practical strategies that increase rigor, expand access, and inspire students to think like historians. Come ready to participate. This master class is for you! Sunday, December 6, 8:30 am–10:15 am All of the Above Peak into a high school World Religions classroom in the feature-length documentary, All of the Above. Film clips and panelists will highlight insights on the importance of teaching about religion.

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VISIT THE NCSS EXHIBIT HALL! More than 200 organizations will display the latest educational products, programs, services, and travel opportunities. Make sure to spend time learning about the vast array of organizations serving the professional needs of social studies educators when you attend the 106th NCSS Annual Conference. Exhibit Hall Hours Friday, December 4, 9:00 am–6:00 pm Saturday, December 5, 8:00 am–4:00 pm

Civics Renewal Network

International Alley

A A Main Entrance Top of Escalator

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CONFIRMED EXHIBITORS as of August 18

4QM Teaching ABC-CLIO Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Academic Expeditions AJS Publications Albert H. Small Normandy Institute Alleviate American Archive of Public Broadcasting American Civics Academy American Museum of Tort Law American Numismatic Association American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati American Sociological Association Amnesty International USA Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage AramcoWorld-Aramaco Americas Arlington National Cemetery Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishing Bellevue University BH365 LLC Bill of Rights Institute C-SPAN Classroom Center for Advancing Pluralism Center for Civic Education Center for Constitutional Studies Center On Representative Government Indiana University Civics 101 Civics Renewal Network Close Up Foundation Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation Council for Economic Education Council On Foreign Relations Education CreatED Critical Thinking In History Dad in Chad! Danica Davidson Democratic Knowledge Project Destination Gettysburg Digital Inquiry Group Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site Echoes & Reflections Econiful Economics 4 Everyone

Edward M. Kennedy Institute EF Explore America Esri EU Education Outreach Program in the U.S. Program Exploros Inc. Facing History & Ourselves Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis FiCycle Ford’s Theatre Foreign Policy Association Foundation for Teaching Economics Founding Forward Friends of the National World War II Memorial Fulbright Teacher Exchanges Gale, A Cengage Company Gallopade Generation Citizen George Washington’s Mount Vernon Gibbs Smith Education GL Travel Grand Classroom Gratz College Heifer International Historical Society of Pennsylvania History in Twenty History.org/Colonial Williamsburg Holocaust Learning Experience Honoring Veteran Legacies Eternal Salute Human Rights Educators USA & Woven Teaching iCivics Illinois Council for the Social Studies Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center In the Footsteps of History inquirED Institute for Curriculum Services Institute of Arabic & Islamic Studies International Spy Museum izzit.org Jack Miller Center James Madison Foundation Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, Inc. Karama Kaur Foundation Kentucky Derby Museum

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Khan Academy Kindred K 12 KQED La Belle Route Custom Tours Lake County Forest Preserves Lerner Publishing Group Lexandria Library of Congress Marginal Revolution University Museum Interactive LLC Museum of History and Holocaust Education at Kennesaw State University Museum of the American Revolution Museum of the Bible MyCivicsLife by The Source for Learning, Inc. Naper Settlement National Consortium for Teaching About Asia National Constitution Center National Council for History Education National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum National History Academy National History Day National Museum of the Pacific War National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution National WWI Museum and Memorial New York Historical Society Newsela Origins/Picturing Black History Pearson Pedagogy Futures Perfection Learning/AMSCO Polish Perspectives Population Connection Project Mosaics Publisher Spotlight Quill Remember Liss Retro Report Inc Ronald Reagan Foundation & Institute Sandra Day O’Connor Institute Savvas Learning Company SIFMA Foundation Social Studies School Service Society for Military History Source Squads Sphere Education Initiative STEMdelivered.org Street Law, Inc. Student Educational Tours Studies Weekly Publications

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Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center Supreme Court Historical Society Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding TCI Teach Democracy Teaching American History TeachRock The Civics Center The DBQ Project The Doughboy Foundation The Genocide Education Project The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History The Grateful Nation Project The Great History Challenge The Mill Institute The National WWII Museum The News Literacy Project The Periodic Table of the Presidents The Poli-Sci Brick Guy—Washington University St. Louis The Right Question Institute The Tuttle Twins The USS Midway Institute for Teachers The White House Historical Association Thinking Habitats Thinking Nation Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello Transatlantic Outreach Program (TOP) Trivium Studios, LLC TrueFiktion Trust for the National Mall Tunnels to Towers 9/11 Institute USAFacts U.S. Capitol Historical Society U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee UC Berkeley History–Social Science Project UCLA Asian American Studies Center University of Nebraska at Kearney, History Department University Of Pittsburgh Virginia Tech School of Education Vision Maker Media VOXPOP W. W. Norton & Company Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia, University of Michigan WGBH Educational Foundation Wisconsin Historical Society Witness to War Foundation Woodson Center World History Association WorldStrides Youth Leadership Initiative/UVA Center for Politics

TRAVEL AND HOTEL Get ready for #NCSS2026: Social Studies 365 in Chicago! Stay at the Conference Hotel We are all under one roof this year with the conference taking place within the hotel. Book your room at the Hyatt Regency Chicago and enjoy the convenience of being steps away from conference programming in the heart of The Loop—downtown Chicago, overlooking the Chicago River and near the Magnificent Mile. Hyatt Regency Chicago 151 East Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60601 Standard Room (single/double): $229 per night + tax Deluxe Room (single/double, high floor): $239 per night + tax Plan Your Trip Chicago is easy to get to whether you’re traveling by plane, train, or car. Discounts on airfare are available from Delta, Southwest, and United Airlines. Find helpful information for getting to Chicago and the Hyatt Regency Chicago, along with transportation options and travel resources on the Travel & Hotel section of the 106th NCSS Annual Conference webpage. For more travel information and to book your hotel room, visit www.socialstudies.org/conference/getting-there.

GET READY FOR CHICAGO! Need to convince your boss? We can help.

SHOW YOUR SOCIAL STUDIES PRIDE— 365 DAYS A YEAR.

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https://www.socialstudies.org/conference/registration

www.socialstudies.org/conference | 15

REGISTRATION INFORMATION Registration Rates* Save by registering in advance! Advance until Nov. 26

From Nov. 27 & Onsite

Full Conference

$459

$499

Group of 4 or more @ $ each

$395

N/A

Single Day: Wed/Thu, Fri, or Sat

$419

$459

Retired

$289

$339

Non-member full conference registrants receive a 1-year NCSS membership subscription.

$559

$599

Single Day: Wed/Thu, Fri, or Sat

$519

$559

Member Full Conference

$239

$289

Member Single Day: Wed/Thu, Fri, or Sat

$209

$249

Non-Member Full Conference

$349

$389

Non-Member Single Day: Wed/Thu, Fri, or Sat

$309

$349

$239

$289

Category NCSS Member

Non-Member

Student

Other Non-teaching spouse/partner

*Registration add-ons are not included and may incur an additional cost.

Photography by Chip Dizáard Studios

Full conference registration includes: • Conference presentations and speakers • Exhibit Hall access for Friday and Saturday • Access for Illinois educators to earn IL professional development hours

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HOW TO REGISTER Registration is Online Register 24 hours a day—register online at www.socialstudies.org/conference/registration with a credit card or a purchase order. Online advance registration is open at the pre-conference rates until November 26, 2026. Methods of Payment NCSS will accept the following methods of payment: •

Checks: Made payable to NCSS Conference Registration in U.S. dollars NCSS Conference Registration PO Box 79078 Baltimore, MD 21279-0078 Must be mailed by November 6, 2026, to ensure receipt in time to confirm registration.

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Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, and American Express online only at www.socialstudies.org/conference/registration

• Purchase orders: Must include a signed copy of the purchase order with the registration form, sent to ncss@showcare.com. All purchase orders must be paid by February 2, 2027, to avoid a late fee. For more information, go to www.socialstudies.org/conference/registration. ADA Requirements NCSS is committed to ensuring that our Annual Conference is fully accessible to all persons. All conference meeting rooms are wheelchair accessible. If you require an interpreter or special services that are described under ADA, you should check the appropriate box on the registration form and attach a note outlining specific needs to make the conference more accessible, or contact conference@ncss.org before October 15, 2026. After this date, requests for interpreters cannot be guaranteed; however, every effort will be made to accommodate requests.