Alliance for Learning in World History
The Alliance for Learning in World History (ALWH) is a collaboration between educators and history scholars who seek to advance the teaching and learning of world history in classrooms in the U.S. and around the world. The Alliance sponsors yearly professional development programs that link leading practitioners in world history scholarship, curriculum, teacher preparation, professional development, and educational research. The ALWH was previously funded by the Social Science Research Council and the British Council and now draws on support from Columbia University and the World History Center at the University of Pittsburgh.
The Alliance is anchored at the University of Pittsburgh and serves as one of the primary education initiatives pursued by the WHC. Molly Warsh, Associate Professor of History and former Associate Director of the WHC, serves as the Steering Committee Chair and primary contact for the ALWH. Please write to ALWH@pitt.edu if you would like to be added to the ALWH mailing list.
The ALWH maintains a group page on the OER Commons (oercommons.org), a digital library and network, with world history assignments and syllabi submitted by educators of all levels. Visit the group page here!
Past Professional Development Opportunities
Truth, Misinformation, and Technology in World History
On Saturday, June 1, 2024, the ALWH hosted a workshop about “Truth, Misinformation, and Technology in World History.” In this one-day virtual professional development workshop for educators at all levels, our three speakers explored 500 years of “big data”, technology and political disinformation, and people’s fascination with the idea of “automatic writing.”
Bringing Global Studies and World History into Your Classroom: Working with H21 Content
The ALWH and Pitt Global Studies Center hosted a series of three virtual workshops for educators about using History for the 21st Century (H21) modules in the classroom on the topics of “Refugees in the Early Modern Atlantic World,” “Hunting, Imperialism, and the Wilderness,” and “Unsovereign Space.” Learn more!
Energies in World History
On June 23-24 2023, the ALWH hosted a two-day professional development workshop on the topic of "Teaching Energies in World History." The workshop was held in conjunction with the 32nd annual meeting of the World History Association. Read more about it here!
New Approaches to Frontier History
On June 11, 2022 the ALWH hosted a daylong professional development workshop on "New Approaches to Frontier History." The workshop features presentations from Dr. James Hill (University of Pittsburgh), Dr. Matt Matsuda (Rutgers), and Dr. Veronica Castillo-Munoz (UC Santa Barbara).
Teaching Indigenous History as World History
On June 12, 2021 the ALWH hosted "Teaching Indigenous History as World History," a professional development workshop for teachers. The webinar featured presentations from Dr. Bonita Lawrence (York University), Dr. Kyle Mays (UCLA) and Dr. Alaina E. Roberts (University of Pittsburgh).
Teaching the Global African Diaspora
On June 30, 2020 the ALWH hosted a day-long virtual professional development workshop on Teaching the Global African Diaspora.
Hot Topics in World History
On June 30, 2019 the ALWH hosted a one-day professional workshop for world history teachers titled "Hot Topics in World History," featuring sessions on teaching with comics led by Trevor Getz, maps in the world history classroom led by Ruth Mostern, and games in the world history classroom led by Bennett Sherry. The event drew teachers from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, and Virginia.
2018 Summer Workshop
On June 28th and 29th, the WHC hosted the Alliance for Learning in World History 2018 Summer Workshop at Pitt hosted by the Humanities Center at Pitt.