During Reconstruction African Americans were elected to public office for the first time. This three-week summer institute for K-12 educators will examine the history, impact, and legacy of Black officials elected during Reconstruction. The institute will include lectures and discussions with top scholars on the history of Reconstruction as well as individual consultations between participants and faculty and archivists. Participants will take virtual field trips to museums, historic cemeteries, libraries, and archives in Columbia, Charleston, and St. Helena Island, South Carolina. The 25 educators selected for this institute will be prepared to teach about the history of Reconstruction.