The Troy City Schools are pleased to announce that Justin Crews, an eighth grade social studies teacher at Troy Junior High School, has been selected as a delegate to the We the Teachers: Preparing the Next Generation Through History and; Civics national fellowship program at William and Mary.

Led by W&M’s Strategic Cultural Partnerships division and undertaken in partnership with the National Council for History Education (NCHE), the program is funded by a $2.89 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education — the largest such award to a Virginia institution of higher learning under the American History and Civics Education National Activities program.

Crews is among 100 teacher delegates selected from all fifty states to attend the Congress of Educators, a four-day residential institute taking place in July 2026 across the Historic Triangle of Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown.

“I’m excited to be part of such a prestigious group of scholars who get to learn about America’s founding in the spot where it all began,” Crews said. “The power of place has a special way of pulling us in and enhancing our learning. I can’t take my students to ALL the places, but if I can visit the places and share that experience, I can’t help but believe it will enhance my students’ learning.”

Timed to the nation’s 250th anniversary, We the Teachers reinforces the university’s national reputation for developing civic leadership and will equip teachers with evidence-based pedagogy to create stronger learning outcomes for students across the country.

“Welcoming 100 teachers from across the nation to the Historic Triangle is a remarkable opportunity,” said Mark Hofer, executive director of Strategic Cultural Partnerships and professor in the W&M School of Education. “These teacher-leaders will explore America’s founding where it happened — walking the same ground as the founders, grappling with the same questions – and prepare them to lead this work back in their home states.”

Hosted at W&;M and partner cultural institutions, the Congress will immerse delegates in primary source analysis, historical inquiry, civil dialogue, and evidence-based argumentation — connecting America’s founding principles to classroom-ready practice.

Fellows will return to their schools equipped with professional video recordings, facilitator guides, and classroom resources to launch local professional learning communities. The initiative aims to establish at least 100 such communities nationwide, each engaging 15 or more educators.

Delegates also receive early access to free, on-demand microcourses and digital credentials through the “Educating for the 250th” microcredential pathway, built on lilyPD, an innovative teacher professional development platform designed by Strategic Cultural Partnerships and launched for public beta in Spring 2026.

“We are incredibly excited for Justin to experience this well-deserved opportunity,” Troy City Schools Superintendent Chris Piper said. “He already does an outstanding job in the classroom, and this opportunity will only help him to educate our students.”