lilyPD beta launch provides custom development tools for national educators

Over the course of the grant, the team behind lilyPD will develop a minimum of 15 courses over three years, the equivalent of 75 hours of professional learning, focused on history, civics and democracy.

More than 50 Social Studies teachers came together at Jamestown High School to explore lilyPD, with an overview from Mark Hofer and breakout sessions on Historical Inquiry and Civil Discourse. (Courtesy of lilypd, Linkedin)

In the Year of Civic Leadership and the nation's 250th anniversary, William & Mary is strengthening history and civics education across the country with an innovative new professional development platform for K-12 teachers.

Developed by William & Mary's Strategic Cultural Partnerships (SCP), museum professionals, and K-12 teachers, lilyPD: Professional Development powered by W&M offers customizable, research-based online microcourses that can be implemented in a K-12 classroom today.

Created with support from a $2.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, this new platform launched as a beta version earlier this year. Over the course of the grant, the team behind lilyPD will develop a minimum of 15 free courses over three years, the equivalent of 75 hours of professional learning, focused on history, civics and democracy.

Additional courses will be added over time as more teachers across the country show an interest. The overall goal, according to Mark Hofer, executive director of SCP, is to partner with states and school divisions to offer subscriptions, to empower teachers to expand their professional learning while earning credit towards teaching license renewal.

"Our goal is to create something that will really wow teachers and delight them," Hofer said.

By teachers, for teachers

As it stands, lilyPD is aimed at working with existing teaching infrastructure, helping teachers craft lesson plans and class projects, but still providing a tailored and immersive learning experience.

Hofer got the idea for lilyPD during his tenure as director of the Studio for Teaching and Learning Innovation. There, he and his team were focused on microlearning, creating course objectives that were digestible in single sessions. When Hofer moved to Strategic Cultural Partnerships, he learned about the relationships the department has with museums and other organizations on educational programs and initiatives.

"I thought, wow, we need to take that concept of microlearning and think about how we can bring K-12 teachers and museum educators together," he said, citing that both roles utilize similar techniques and strategies.

Courses currently available on lilyPD in its beta program, which runs through the summer. Teachers interested can sample courses now on lilyPD's website. Current courses include:

• Civil Discourse in the Classroom (in partnership with Virginia Museum of History & Culture)
• Artifact Analysis
• Podcasting for Educations
• Historical Inquiry in the Classroom
• Nonfiction Reading Strategies

As for who crafts the modules, the lilyPD team identifies teachers who have significant experience and expertise in specific areas - a by-teachers, for-teachers approach that Hofer thought was paramount to the program.

"We have a network where we can find an excellent teacher who can really do a good job of talking about (their field) - teachers not only want to learn about the topic, but they want to see student examples," he said. "We have teachers at different grade levels reviewing modules, so they provide great input and feedback."

Additionally, teacher resources for available courses, including student activities, are ready for educators to use. Hofer said the beta program lets teachers and museum educators provide feedback, which the lilyPD team reads and then refines to enhance resources.

LilyPD will play a crucial role in the Congress of Educators conference happening in late July. Part of the larger "We the Teachers" program and timed with the nation's 250th anniversary, the conference will convene 100 K-12 educators representing all 50 states at William & Mary for four days of immersive, hands-on training in history and civics topics through place-based learning - with lilyPD deepening that learning long after educators return to their classrooms.

After the initial convening in Williamsburg in 2026, "We the Teachers" will be presented in Denver in 2027 and Minneapolis in 2028, drawing upon the unique civic history of each region.

Hofer projects that lilyPD will impact one million students across the nation over the next three years with the help of the grant. Courses and modules will be continuously updated as more educators get involved.

"We want to establish William & Mary as a go-to provider for best-in-class professional development," he said. "This grant will give us the network across the country to promote lilyPD and W&M long after the grant."

William Oster, Communications Specialist

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