Emory University and the National Endowment for the Humanities are offering a summer seminar on Communism and American Life to teachers of grades K-12.

The five-week seminar will run from June 30 – July 30, 2014. Admission is open for all teachers with the hope of including people with diverse educational backgrounds.

While never truly threatening the American political system, communism was a powerful force starting the late 1940s.  “I'm hoping that participants will gain an understanding of why some Americans were attracted to communism, why others were repelled, and why and how the issue came to dominate American political life during the McCarthy era,” says Harvey Klehr, Emory political science professor. Klehr, an expert on communism in the United States, will lead the seminar.

The summer session will also include a faculty member from Hamilton College and a retired National Security Administration officer. It will run four days a week for three hours a day with several afternoon or evening movie screening sessions.

Participants have the option of staying in an apartment on campus and will receive a stipend to help cover their costs. The due date for the application is March 4. View the NEH Summer Seminars and Institutes for School Teachers Eligibility Criteria (PDF) for application information.