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2025 Sphere Summit Information

Sphere Summit, a full scholarship professional development program for grades 5–12 educators, returns as a fully in‐​person experience in Washington, DC, and will run June 29– July 3 and July 14–18. Benefits include room and board, 20+ hours of professional development, classroom resources, and a $500 travel stipend upon completion of the program.

Both Sphere Summits for 2025 are open to all educators and administrators in grades 5–12. Educators from across all disciplines and subject areas are eligible to apply. Groups of educators from the same school are particularly encouraged. Each Summit will offer distinct programming to meet the needs of both middle and high school educators as well as educators teaching either on grade level or advanced courses like AP or IB. Please apply to the Summit that works best for your schedule.

Summit Objectives

Civic Culture: Explore and address the current state of public discourse, partisanship, and tribalism in America.

Foundations: Discuss shared values essential to a restoration of civic culture.

Applications: Demonstrate and share tools and approaches for the classroom on current public policy issues from diverse viewpoints. Other topics will include the U.S. Constitution, the rule of law, and freedom of expression.

Understanding Each Other: Examine political philosophies—progressive, libertarian, and conservative—and engage with leading scholars and educators on how to communicate effectively with, and understand the viewpoints of, audiences with diverse perspectives. Adherents of the various political philosophies will explain the ways in which those philosophies are often misunderstood.

Policy Discussions: Analyze key policy issues from diverse perspectives with an emphasis on shared values and common objectives, guided by scholars from leading public policy organizations and academic institutions.

Frequently Asked Questions

About Sphere

Costs, Reimbursements, and Cancellation

Eligibility

General

Applications and Deadlines

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