This past July, The University of South Florida (USF) College of Education’s Anchin Center hosted its annual Advanced Placement Summer Institute (APSI). The Anchin Center’s APSI is the third largest in the world, with participants joining from 32 states and 13 different countries, including Canada, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Georgia, Guatemala, Kuwait, Mexico, Myanmar, Panama, South Korea, and Turkey. This summer, they welcomed approximately 650 Advanced Placement (AP) teachers to campus for three consecutive weeks of collaborative professional learning.
APSI is a College Board-endorsed program that provides professional development to AP teachers. Through the Advanced Placement program, College Board provides a way for high school students to earn free college credits while taking high school courses. Taking Advanced Placement courses exposes students to college-level coursework and begins preparing them to think more critically.
The AP Summer Institute provides teachers the opportunity to learn how to teach their course from College Board-approved consultants. These consultants are experts in their subject areas and work with College Board as AP readers, graders, and table leaders. Not only is this an opportunity to learn directly from College Board experts, but also from other instructors from all over the world. This 4-day intensive training offers a unique learning experience for teachers who are interested in expanding their knowledge of AP course content, structure, and methodology. In addition, the workshops allow teachers to interact with colleagues and discuss issues and concerns surrounding the AP courses they will teach.
“APSI is our largest professional learning event of the year and it’s so gratifying to see teachers networking and collaborating with fellow AP teachers from around the world. We’re proud to offer course options in over 30 AP subject areas and to have options for both online and in-person learning throughout the four week institute.” said Rachel Hatten assistant director of the Anchin Center
With 47 different course offerings planned for next summer's program, the Anchin Center's AP Summer Institute continues to grow.