IDM Institute 2025: Designing the Future of Inquiry

🎉 Join Us for the 10th Annual IDM Institute!

 Presented by C3 Teachers and NCSS
📍 Location TBD | 📅 July 24-25, 2025

Register here – https://www.socialstudies.org/professional-learning/2025-idm-summer-institute 

We’re excited to invite you to the 10th Annual Inquiry Design Model (IDM) Institute, a two-day professional learning experience where inquiry meets innovation in social studies education.

This year marks a milestone—It’s our 10th Institute and where taking a leap forward. Our focus this year is on Designing the Future of Inquiry.

Here’s an overview of what we have planned 

🔍 Day 1: From the IDM Show to Building Block Inquiries (BBI)

We’ll kick off with a deep dive into our latest work: Building Block Inquiries, a powerful new strategy designed to bring inquiry within reach for all teachers and students. Whether you’re new to IDM or a seasoned practitioner, you’ll leave with classroom-ready tools that bring the C3 Framework to life. 

This year we are featuring our latest project in collaboration with the Library of Congress. The Building Blocks of Inquiry Project mixes three key ingredients—IDM, Library of Congress sources, and Trust—to help teacher leaders create fresh, innovative lessons we call “Inquiry Stacks.” These stacks are collections of hands-on exercises that spark different approaches to inquiry learning. Each one stands alone as a building block, and together, they form a powerful stack centered on using sources to tell historical stories.

🚀 Day 2: Spotlight on Innovation

Day 2 of the IDM Institute dives into big ideas to energize your inquiry practice. We’ll explore how AI can be a powerful thinking partner for teachers and students, helping them ask better questions and dig deeper into sources. You’ll also discover creative ways to bring inquiry to life in elementary classrooms, making big thinking accessible for young learners. Plus, we’ll share fresh strategies to kickstart your Academy journey with energy and inspiration. 

• 🤖 Harnessing AI to support student thinking
• 🧒 Inquiry in the elementary classroom
  
• 🔁 Plus: fresh ideas to prime your Academy journey
  

Get inspired as we showcase what’s next in inquiry-based social studies: As always, the IDM Institute is more than a training—it’s a community of curious, committed educators who believe in the power of questions to transform classrooms.

Why Attend?

• Learn directly from the creators of the Inquiry Design Model
• Collaborate with educators from across the country
• Leave with tools, resources, and renewed energy
• Get a front-row seat to emerging work from the C3 Teachers network
  

📝 Registration is open! Learn more at https://www.socialstudies.org/professional-learning/2025-idm-summer-institute  

Let’s make this the most impactful IDM Institute yet. See you this summer!