Teaching Shakespeare Institute

Since 1984, the National Endowment for the Humanities has supported the development and continuing work of the Folger Shakespeare Library's Teaching Shakespeare Institute, an intense, month-long study of a few plays from three essential perspectives: scholarship, performance, and the secondary school classroom.

The Teaching Shakespeare Institute hosted by Folger Education invites educators from across the country to apply to participate in educational development at the Folger. TSI participants enjoy a four-week stay at the Folger approaching Shakespeare from the perspective of a scholar, actor, and educator.

Teaching Shakespeare's home is the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., where participants are summer fellows, with full access to the Reading Rooms and the collections. Participants have the opportunity to explore the plays with an exceptional faculty of scholars, performance professionals, and experienced secondary school teachers. Institute days are packed with lectures, small group seminars, informal work sessions, sessions with actors and teachers, individual independent research, and perhaps a lunchtime colloquium. Visiting scholars are also part of the Institute scene, as one or two sessions per week on specific topics are led by visiting scholars.

"This has been one of the most intense, yet extremely rewarding four weeks of my life."

"I've not only picked up exciting techniques to take back to my classroom, but gained important insight into what makes teaching effective..."

"the effects [of the Institute] will probably be manifesting themselves for months, if not years."

~TSI 2012 Participant Evaluations

Teaching Shakespeare to Undergraduates, Folger Institute grant program (2016-2017)