The Institute for Secondary School Educators provides two multinational groups of 30 experienced and highly-motivated secondary school educators (teachers, teacher trainers, textbook writers, curriculum developers, and education ministry officials) with a deeper understanding of U.S. society and culture, past and present. The Institute is organized around a central theme or themes in U.S. civilization and has a strong contemporary component. Through a combination of traditional, multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches, Institute content is imaginatively integrated in order to elucidate the history and evolution of U.S. institutions and values, including illuminating contemporary political, social, and economic debates in American society. While the primary focus of the Institute is on American studies, sessions on pedagogy are included to explore new teaching methodologies and ways to incorporate American studies content into foreign secondary courses.