This summer served up a giant step back in time for some of Virginia Beach’s teachers.

Several teachers throughout the division took the opportunity to be a part of the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute, a weeklong program that gives elementary and middle school teachers hands-on, fully-immersive experiences to take back to their classrooms.

As part of the experience, participants become colonists – waking up early, visiting historic sites and interacting with character interpreters in reproduction clothing. During their time, teachers toured the Jamestown settlement, visited the Great Hopes Plantation, Historic Trade shops as well as the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum.

This year, a total of 15 Virginia Beach teachers from Old Donation Center, Brandon Middle, Hermitage Elementary, Salem Middle, Creeds Elementary, Centerville Elementary, Cooke Elementary, Independence Middle and Tallwood Elementary took part of the institute.

Teachers were able to take part in the experience thanks to a gift from the Batten Educational Achievement Fund of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation. Teachers interested in applying for scholarships to attend future sessions of Teacher Institute should email teacherdevelopment@cwf.org or call (757) 565-8417 for more information.