Lake superior state university will produce: a replicable, tested archival literacy module embedded in pre-service teacher education; an open-access practitioner guide for teacher educators and…

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded Lake Superior State University $151,428 under the National Leadership Grants program (CFDA 45.312) on September 1, 2026, to develop and pilot an archival literacy module for pre-service teacher education.

Lake Superior State University will produce a tested, replicable archival literacy module embedded in the College of Great Lakes Ecology and Education's pre-service teacher education curriculum, piloted with an estimated 40–60 teacher candidates across two cohorts and refined through formative evaluation. The university will create an open-access practitioner guide for teacher educators and their library and archive partners addressing the full arc of building and sustaining community archive partnerships in teacher preparation, from identifying collections and establishing partnerships through integrating archival literacy into methods coursework to assessing candidate learning and sustaining the work institutionally. The project will also produce a curated, annotated repository of model archive-based lesson plans tied to Michigan and national curriculum standards and a documented partnership model adaptable by teacher preparation programs in other rural, regional, and tribal-serving communities. Partners include public libraries, historical societies, tribal archives, and cultural centers across the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

The award period runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2028. Work is performed in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

Lake superior state university will produce: a replicable, tested archival literacy module embedded in pre-service teacher education; an open-access practitioner guide for teacher educators and their library and archive partners; a curated, annotated repository of model archive-based lesson plans tied to michigan and national curriculum standards; and a documented partnership model adaptable by teacher preparation programs in other rural, regional, and tribal-serving communities. Partners include public libraries, historical societies, tribal archives, and cultural centers across the eastern upper peninsula of michigan. The project will deliver a tested, replicable archival literacy module integrated into college of great lakes ecology and education's pre-service teacher education curriculum. The module will have been piloted with an estimated 40-60 teacher candidates across two cohorts and refined through formative evaluation. The project will produce an open-access practitioner guide for teacher educators and their library and archive partners. The guide will address the full ARC of building and sustaining a community archive partnership in teacher preparation: from identifying collections and establishing partnerships, to integrating archival literacy into methods coursework, to assessing candidate learning and sustaining the work institutionally.