My trip to Boston and Philadelphia with Larry H. Miller's Driven to Teach was incredible! Getting to personally witness the actual places where so much of our nation's history happened will make such a difference in how I teach. I came home with so many ideas and stories that will bring my classroom lessons to life. Most importantly, it added my love for history and reminded me why I'm so excited to share that passion with my future students! This wasn't just a trip—it was an experience that will stick with me and shape the way I teach for years to come!

The Driven2Teach program was an incredible experience that expanded my perspective on American history and reignited my excitement for teaching Social Studies. There is something powerful about standing in the actual spaces where history happened—it builds a stronger foundation for understanding and connection. Being there allows me to imagine the events more vividly, grasp the true distances between places, and gain a clearer, more accurate picture of historical events. It also deepened my reverence for the people who made a difference in their time, enabling us to enjoy greater peace today than they did in theirs.

Driven2Teach is unique in that no other program in the nation will not only pay for you to see historical sites but also make you fall in love with teaching history like never before! I came away from this experience having so many new lesson plans I wanted to implement, new ways to engage students in learning history, and new friends that I keep in contact with to this day! I am truly humbled to have been chosen to be part of the Driven2Teach program, and I will forever advocate for any eligible teacher to apply!

I had the privilege and honor of participating in Driven 2 Teach, and it was nothing short of life-changing. I've always loved history, but this program took that passion to a whole new level—every moment was carefully planned, allowing me to truly live and breathe history until it felt like it was part of my DNA. As a fourth-grade teacher who took the Utah trip, I thought I already knew most of our state's history. I couldn't have been more wrong. Thanks to incredible professors, historians, and field experts, I learned more in those days than I ever imagined possible. The community this program builds is just as impactful as the history itself—sharing these experiences with passionate educators creates bonds that last well beyond the trip. I'll never forget standing at the Bear River Massacre Site, exploring Fort Bridger and the remnants of Camp Scott, reflecting at the Topaz Museum, marveling at ancient rock paintings in Fremont Park, and rafting past the hauntingly beautiful ruins of the Ancestral Puebloans along the San Juan River. Driven 2 Teach is more than a program—it's an unforgettable journey that transforms the way you see history and the way you teach it.

Attending the American West seminar with Driven 2 Teach was an unforgettable and transformative professional experience. The program deepened my understanding of the history of the West and the Corps of Discovery's journey and brought history to life in a way that no other program could. The combination of immersive field experiences - especially on the Missouri River, expert instruction, and hands-on learning allowed me to connect with the West and the Lewis and Clark Expedition on a profoundly personal and professional level. Every stop along the route—whether climbing to new heights near the White Cliffs, standing at a historic landmark, hearing the Expedition diary entries or personal stories of the Blackfeet, or examining primary sources—made the West and the Expedition's challenges, triumphs, and legacy come alive.

Driven 2 Teach's attention to detail, commitment to academic excellence, and passion for empowering educators were evident in every aspect of the seminar. I felt supported, treasured, and encouraged. Jay Buckley and the team of professors and experts helped us gain a deep understanding and appreciation for what the intrepid explorers experienced. I left with a wealth of resources, curated lesson plans, authentic stories, and renewed inspiration to bring history into my classroom in engaging, meaningful ways.

This experience has truly redefined how I will teach the American West and Lewis and Clark to my students, and I am deeply grateful to have been part of such a powerful and well-crafted program. 

It enhances the lives of not just the educators who are going on these trips, but in turn, their students as they take what they’ve learned back to the classroom,” he said. “The hope is that those students will then use what they learn in the classroom from their teachers to enhance the lives of those that they interact with. It’s just a continuation of what we call the virtuous cycle of giving back.

It’s going to help history come more alive for my students,” he said. “One, it’ll have some credibility. ‘Oh, Mr. Bohne was there. This thing actually did happen.’ It will also lend to the storytelling of history, which I think is so important for all age groups, but especially for fifth graders. They need to be invested in the story of history to get excited about it. As I’ve been able to go to these places and see where these people walked and lived and I have pictures of myself in those places, then that story becomes more real for them. And as I’m able to visualize it and recreate that environment for them, then they can picture it themselves and hopefully grow to love history and see the importance of it.

Teaching the first half of U.S. history, we are on the opposite side of the country from where all that happened,” she said. “It’s not like I can just take my kids to a park and say, ‘Hey, this is where the first battle of the Revolutionary War happened.’ That’s just not possible, but for me to be able to go out and have a full week of just one-on-one experiences with primary sources in the exact place where things went down was really eye-opening and awe-inspiring.

The Driven2Teach Founding Principles trip was an experience of a lifetime. It was an invaluable experience to learn more about our Founding Fathers and their vision for the United States. I am looking forward to implementing what I have learned in my classroom. I am from Switzerland and so enjoyed learning more about the Founding Fathers. I have a better knowledge and appreciation for that time in history.

This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn about our Founding Fathers and our history. I loved being in the places I teach my students about.

This trip was the most epic adventure that will not only make us better educators, it renewed our hope. It renewed our hope that we can make a difference, that history can be fun, that we live in the greatest country in the world and that as tired as we are… we will make the time to bring the experiences we had here with two of the best professors, to change our classrooms. That we will re-endeavor to make our classrooms echo what we learned here and never stop striving to make a difference for our young students! Thank you is just not enough for what you gave us!

I’m grateful for the opportunity of this learning adventure. I’ve already started planning to implement the lessons I’ve learned from the Civil War to Civil Rights. What a great opportunity to learn from our experts Haydn Call, Jay Buckley, and Libby Robertson. I was impressed with the quality of teachers we have teaching history in Utah. We need more teachers as passionate as this group.  As a widowed mother, on a teacher’s salary, I wouldn’t have been able to afford this learning adventure on my own. My children are grown now, but because I was on my own for so long, I don’t have much in the bank for things like this.  I’m grateful for the vision of Mr. Miller to put this together. I’m grateful to Mrs. Miller for keeping Driven 2 Teach each year. I’ve been blessed beyond measure being a participant. My students benefit because my passion for history is so strong.

I was able to attend the seminar Civil War to Civil Rights and tour the south starting in Charleston, SC and ending in Birmingham, AL. I feel incredibly blessed to have the chance to visit sites where the actual events took place. It’s such a gift to be able to teach my students and pull from the personal experience of visiting those places. One such experience that stood out to me was when we visited Magnolia Plantation in Charleston. The gardens were so beautiful, but I couldn’t help but think of the hundreds/thousands of enslaved people who built it. On our tour they told us that after the enslaved were freed, they had to stop growing rice because nobody would willingly work those rice fields in the swamps. Nobody would take those kinds of risks voluntarily. Think about that. Those enslaved people had no choice and as I drove the roads on the plantation and saw the alligators in the swamps, and the bugs and all kinds of creatures, my heart ached for those people who didn’t have a choice. What a gift it was to visit this place and see for myself what the conditions were. Thank you so much for that opportunity and I’ll use everything I learned to help educate the kids I teach.

Early US History came to life and multiple perspectives opened my eyes more than any textbook ever has. This once in a lifetime opportunity and content will be shared with all of my future students!

My Driven 2 Teach experience was instructive, insightful, and so very useful to myself and my students.