The 8th annual American Psychological Association–Clark University Workshop for High School Teachers was held on the Clark campus from July 16through July 18. The APA Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS) collaborated with the University to develop the workshop, which included presentations by TOPSS members and Clark psychology professors. Approximately 30 high school teachers from around the country participated in the workshop.
Emily Leary Chesnes, assistant director of Precollege and Undergraduate Education at the APA, said, “APA has supported the teaching of high school psychology for several decades, and the APA/Clark University Workshop has become our flagship annual event for psychology teachers. We are very pleased to partner with Clark University and the American Psychological Foundation on this important event, and remain grateful to Dr. Lee Gurel for his generous support.”
“We are delighted to host this important psychology workshop on our campus. It helps bridge a critical gap between high school and college psychology coursework,” said Associate Provost and Dean of Research Nancy Budwig.
Workshop participants attended lectures on sensation and perception, the learning sciences and adolescent sleep patterns. They visited professor’s research laboratories and Clark’s archive to learn more about the history of Psychology. The workshop also provided the opportunity for teacher working sessions with seasoned high school teachers of Psychology to design activities that engage high school students in inquiry based learning about psychology.
The idea for a workshop for high-school teachers grew from the vision and generosity of Clark alumnus Dr. Lee Gurel, who studied psychology at Clark and was granted a bachelor’s degree in 1948.
“Psychology is central to our lives,” said Dr. Gurel. “And if taught at the secondary school level, this subject can get at issues that are essential—and often neglected—in our culture.”
Clark University played a prominent role in the development of psychology as a distinguished discipline in the United States, and was the birthplace of the APA in 1892.
