Oxbridge Teacher Seminars

The Oxbridge Teacher Seminars are designed to share the latest research in a selection of subjects, to traditional subjects, new pedagogical possibilities, and a variety of cultural, social, and imaginative experiences.

Led by distinguished academics, the seminars revolve around small, subject-specific Study Groups led by university experts and full-group sessions with keynote speakers, tours, and visits. Beyond the seminar room, educators enjoy a full roster of cultural events and outings, historical tours, museum visits, and free time.

Costs & Payment

University of Cambridge

Jesus College
August 5 - August 12

$3,125

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University of Oxford

Worcester College
July 28 - August 4

$3,125

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What's included:
All tuition and lectures, accommodation, two meals daily, and all activities scheduled as part of the Seminar. The fee does not include airfare, lunch, items of a personal nature, health or travel insurance, or elective activities above and beyond the program.

Choose Your Adventure

At the heart of the Seminar are Study Groups, each with a different focus, offering detailed discussion and exploration of a special subject. Upon enrollment, you will have the chance to choose from the Study Group options listed below. Every morning during the seminar, your Study Group will meet to discuss a series of topics that are complemented in the afternoons by a plenary program of speakers, workshops, outings, and events.

What's Included

Access to cultural sites and local events

Accommodations

Extracurricular activities, workshops, and event offerings

Continuous support

On-site staff of experienced professionals

Local meals

Study Groups

Oxford

Literature and The Fantastic

This course focuses on the works of six of the most prominent children's fantasy authors of the past 150 years. Four of these (Lewis Carroll, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Philip Pullman) were or are Oxford-based; particular attention will be paid to their biographies and their interactions with the University and Oxford town life. Each seminar will cover both a special author whose work will be featured, and an investigative topic designed to focus the discussion around issues relevant to both readers and teachers of fantasy literature. In addition to learning about the history and background of these canonical texts, seminar participants will be encouraged to develop new and imaginative ways of teaching them.

The Library and The Academy

Libraries are at the very heart of every educational institution, from the smallest school to Oxford University. Designed for librarians and others with an interest in how libraries contribute to the intellectual and cultural life of the academy, this Study Group draws on the resources of the more than 60 libraries that constitute the Oxford University library system. Because of the great wealth and antiquity of library resources in Oxford, participants have the opportunity to visit medieval libraries that have chained books, see exhibits drawn from rare collections, and visit the Bodleian Library, looking at it not only historically but in relation to a wide range of current issues. Participants meet experts from several fields of library science and archive management.

Shakespeare in History

Focused on the most influential poet and playwright in western civilization, this Study Group examines Shakespeare's works, popularity, and literary legacy. Looking beyond his life, contemporary depictions, and immediate reception, participants go on to study his sources, his collaborators, and his influence. They explore how plays have been revised and re-written over the centuries, according to popular taste and political will, as well as how selected plays have been adapted for television and film, as specialist performances and Hollywood blockbusters. The Study Group also looks at how Shakespeare can be taught in the classroom through performance.

Leadership Challenges in Contemporary Education

This Study Group is intended for emerging leaders within schools. Led by an experienced school head, the Group will focus on a selection of key issues that every school leader must face today, such as curriculum reform, the uses and abuses of technology, the pros and cons of parental engagement, faculty retention and development, socioeconomic inequality, academic versus extracurricular balance, and relations with the broader community. Alongside, the Study Group will tackle daily case studies and crisis management scenarios that arise over the course of a school year and collaborate to work out possible responses.

Cambridge

Why History Matters

Using Cambridge's extraordinary historical resources, this Study Group explores a selection of themes lying at the interstices of history as it is taught in secondary schools, and history as it is researched in universities. Drawing on examples from all periods, sessions address pedagogical questions such as how to incorporate literature, art, and cinema, as well as the social sciences such as anthropology and archaeology, into the syllabus; and how best to convey the value, uses, and abuses of history to the next generation of students. The Study Group also addresses research topics, privileging areas that are all too often excluded from syllabi, such as the long-term historical influence of environment, geography, and disease, as well as how the changing nature of war affected the human experience and transformed political institutions.

English Literature

How do we excite today's students about English Literature? With this question in mind, the Study Group reads and discusses selected texts by major writers, exploring key ideas in literary criticism and how these may be presented in classrooms around the world. While considering texts that can stand on their own or be integrated into thematic courses, the group examines canonical writers from Shakespeare to Virginia Woolf, along with others who have a particular connection to Cambridge such as William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, Lord Tennyson, Rupert Brooke, Sylvia Plath, and Zadie Smith. Participants visit special collections, the colleges of famous authors, and other sites of special literary interest around Cambridge.

Media Literacy

This course is designed to assist educators in developing the tools and ideas with which to teach media literacy and news analysis. Working through talks, discussions, and case studies, the course is designed to provide a deep and up-to-date understanding of contemporary journalism and the different media through which it is consumed while considering the possible evolutions in news dissemination students will have to contend with in coming years. It will go on to discuss strategies for analyzing and assessing media, to help students develop the critical skills they need to help them evaluate and negotiate their way through information, with the intention of coming up with methods for promoting responsible news consumption.

Peter Lowe

STUDY GROUP LEADER

Peter Lowe is a highly experienced news executive who played a key role in the success of Sky News in the UK over 24 years. His last role was Head of Home News, during which he led news teams through tumultuous events including terrorist attacks in London and Manchester, Brexit, the Covid pandemic, political and economic upheaval, and the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Previously he was Managing Editor at Sky News, and before that he ran its political unit through much of the Tony Blair years. He is also a specialist in editorial policy and compliance issues. Peter has also worked for the BBC, commercial radio and regional newspapers. He’s now a journalism coach and consultant.

Thinking Mathematically

We hope that our students leave us as confident, curious, and resourceful mathematicians. But how can we contribute to making it happen? There’s plenty of stimulating material on offer, but what do we pick and how do we use it? This Study Group is intended for teachers wanting to create a culture of enquiry and activity in their classroom. The course will offer an opportunity to explore activities that challenge students to think mathematically, and consider how the activities can be integrated into the school curriculum. It will introduce participants to the range of rich mathematical tasks which are freely available on the NRICH website and will consider the opportunities they offer for developing students’ reasoning and problem solving skills, and deepening their mathematical understanding.

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Taking place in one of the world’s great scientific universities, Newton, Herschel, and Dirac’s alma mater, this Study Group has two intentions: to expose educators to the latest research being undertaken in fields as varied as the Big Bang, Dark Matter, the formation of galaxies, and the study of Exoplanets, and to discuss the best approaches through which to convey these often abstruse concepts and theories into the classroom. The Study Group will also address the latest developments in space exploration – including the James Webb telescope – and discuss how that, too, can be relayed back into the classroom.

Accommodations

Oxford

In Oxford, the Teacher Seminar is hosted at Worcester College. An apt location for a meeting of educators, Worcester lies on a site that has been used for academic purposes since the thirteenth century and is within walking distance to the Ashmolean and Bodleian Library.

Accommodation is modern and comfortable. All bedrooms are equipped with an en-suite bathroom and high-speed wifi.

Cambridge

In Cambridge, the Teacher seminar takes place at Jesus College, which was founded in 1496 and has some of the most extensive grounds of any Cambridge college as well as some of the most comfortable accommodation in the university; the bedrooms are equipped with en-suite bathrooms, and participants have access to the recently-refurbished college bar. Jesus sits within easy walking distance of all the major attractions in Cambridge.

Fees & Details

Eligibility

Teachers, librarians, school leaders, counselors, administrators and, in certain circumstances, trustees, school board, and PTA officers, are eligible. We will continue to accept applications until all the Seminars are full.

Professional Development

Oxbridge Teacher Seminars complies with state requirements for teacher professional development. Oxbridge will help you identify opportunities to earn professional development in your state, assist you in the development of your portfolio, and issue a transcript for up to 35 points/hours of professional development.

Flight Arrangements

You are required to make your own travel arrangements. Full information on how to go about making travel plans will be provided to registered Teacher Seminar participants.

DOWNLOAD OUR BROCHURE

Join Us This Summer!

Space in the program is extremely limited. Do not miss your chance to enjoy a meeting of minds with leading academics and educators from top universities.

If you have any question or prefer to complete your enrollment over the phone, please do not hesitate to give us a call at 800-828-8349 or 212-932-3049.

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What People Are Saying About Oxbridge Academic Programs

This was by far the most informative-while-being-interactive class I've ever had, and it made learning easier and more fun. Oxbridge made a huge impact on me by increasing my confidence and uncovering my strong interest in global business that I now hope to pursue.

Avery

Oxbridge Student

Thanks to the Cambridge Tradition experience, my daughter is much more mature, has a better knowledge of how to live abroad without her family, and she's better prepared for university! Her time at Oxbridge reaffirmed that she wants to study architecture and now she has all the skills to reach her goals.

Ana Maria

Cambridge Tradition Parent

Our daughter had a wonderful experience, and she found the Psychology and Genetics courses engaging and useful. She learned new things, made friends, and had 4 amazing weeks! Many thanks to your entire team for making this possible!

Oxbridge Parent

Our daughter loved the Oxford Prep program. She enjoyed her Major, made nice friends, and really began to feel more independent and confident while exploring beautiful Oxford. A great experience through and through and just what we all were hoping for! In fact, she is already talking about participating in the Cambridge program next year.

Daniel

Oxbridge Prep Parent

Just wanted to reach out to thank you for helping to make my daughter's summer spectacular! She returned on Saturday and has clearly grown from the summer experience. She raves about her time with Dr. Tijn Van Winden and her French teacher.

Sanjeev

Oxbridge in Paris Parent

Thank you for making my son's experience at Cambridge so memorable! Usually reserved, he talked the whole way home from the airport about what he learned in class, the friends he made, and the museums he visited. My son was initially a bit reluctant to attend a two-week course, but at the end of the second week - he was sad it was ending so quickly!

Cambridge Prep Parent