Teacher and Student Fellowships

Have you always wanted a chance to get hands on with history? Is there a historical subject you've always wanted time to explore? Apply for a MHS Fellowship!

The MHS is proud to offer multiple fellowships for K-12 teachers and high school students to explore a topic of their choice in the Massachusetts Historical Society's archives. These fellowships are available to applicants from all U.S. states and territories. 

Teachers may apply to multiple fellowships and can do so in the same application form. One teacher fellowship will be prioritized for an educator in their first five years of classroom teaching. 

Students in grades 9-12 (including current 12th grade students) can apply individually or as a group for our student fellowship, along with a teacher advisor. 

Please explore our various fellowship opportunities below and contact education@masshist.org with any questions. You can register for the following info sessions to learn more about the fellowships and application process. Students, teachers, and families are all welcome to join:

To apply for one or more fellowships, please fill out the application at the following link. Applications are due by 11:59 PM on Monday, March 30th 2026.

  • Swensrud Teacher Fellowship

    Is there a historical topic you’ve always wanted to cover in your classroom, but you don't have the teaching materials you need? Are you facing gaps in your content knowledge or curriculum that you want to address? Do you want support in developing curricular materials to address the specific needs of your students?

    The Swensrud Teacher Fellowship program offers K-12 educators the opportunity to research a topic of interest and create primary source sets using documents and artifacts from the collections of the MHS. The fellowships carry a stipend of $6,000 for four weeks of research and the creation of two or more primary source sets for classroom use. We will be awarding two Swensrud Teacher Fellowships for the summer/fall 2026 season. 

    We are seeking applications that identify an area of need in the applicant’s curriculum and propose ideas for a research project that will address that need.

    Swensrud Fellowship Description and Application Instructions

    Please direct questions to education@masshist.org.

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    Kass Teacher Fellowship

    Is there a historical topic or period that you’ve always wanted to explore in greater depth? Are you facing gaps in your knowledge or curriculum that you want to address? Are you ready to dive into the archives and see what you discover?

    The Kass Teacher Fellowship program offers K-12 educators the chance to focus on pure research and and explore sources in the MHS on a topic of their choice. The fellowship carries a stipend of $3,000 for four weeks of research during the summer and a final report on your findings. We will be awarding one Kass Teacher Fellowship for the summer/fall 2026 season.

    We are seeking applications that propose to do historical research that will fill a knowledge gap or address a need in their curriculum.

    Kass Teacher Fellowship Description and Application Instructions

    Please direct questions to education@masshist.org.

     

    Grade 5 MHS Teacher Fellowship

    Description coming soon!

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    John Winthrop Student Fellowship

    Do you have a burning question about history that you’re not learning about in school? Do you want to learn what it’s like to be a historian? Are you interested in getting hands-on with old documents and artifacts?

    The John Winthrop Student Fellowship award encourages students in grades 9-12 to use documents and artifacts at the MHS in a research project of their choice and with the support of a teacher advisor. Student fellow(s) and their teacher will each receive a $1,000 stipend to complete their research project. We are looking from applications from students who are excited to learn about a topic in history and a desire to explore primary sources.

    The MHS will offer one fellowship to an individual student or a group of up to five students and their teacher advisor during the summer of 2025.

    John Winthrop Student Fellowship Description and Application Instructions

    Please direct questions to education@masshist.org.

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    Our 2025 Fellowship Recipients

    We are proud to announce our 2025 Teacher and Student Fellowship Winners:

    Swensrud Teacher Fellowship:

    William Donovan, Ursuline Academy, Dedham MA. Topic: The Know-Nothing Party and how nativist and anti-Catholic sentiments shaped policy and public opinion in Massachusetts.

    James Dunn, Whitman-Hanson Regional High School, Hanson MA. Topic: The Second Industrial Revolution in Massachusetts and how rapid technological changes affected the lives of Massachusetts residents.

    Kass Teacher Fellowship:

    Lauren Sampson, Waltham High School, Waltham MA. Topic: The role of colonial women in the political landscape of the American War for Independence.

    John Winthrop Student Fellowship:

    Anisa Brown, Concord Academy, Concord MA. Topic: The role of Boston's Black churches in the 1800s as a center of dialogue, activism, and community.

    Laasya Barla, Anika Jacob, and Diyansha Rout, Littleton High School, Littleton MA. Topic: The growth of leisure activities post-WWII in Boston and how redlining affected access to these new recreations.

    Congratulations to our 2025 Teacher and Student fellows, and we look forward to learning from your research at the MHS this year!

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