About the Online Program

How does the Hamilton Education Program Online differ from the ongoing Hamilton Education Program?

The Hamilton Education Program Online offers the online resources of the Hamilton Education Program (including primary sources, videos, and lesson plans) to all interested 6th–12th grade teachers in the United States to integrate into their curriculum.

The In-Person Hamilton Education Program is limited to Title I–eligible high schools located near a theater where the musical Hamilton is being performed.

Will my school be able to see Hamilton?

A limited number of students in the United States participating in the online program will be selected to see the show in New York City. Participating teachers or legal guardians in the United States will have the opportunity to submit their students’ creative pieces in a competition or lottery to win the chance to see a performance of Hamilton in New York City. 
 

Who is eligible to participate in the Hamilton Education Program Online?

Anybody can create a Gilder Lehrman account to access the video library. K–12 educators, parents, legal guardians, and independently motivated students will additionally be able to access the curricular materials. Teachers for grades 6–12 and legal guardians with a child in grades 6–12 are eligible to enter the competition and/or lottery on behalf of their student or child.

Do I need to create an account?

Teachers need a Gilder Lehrman account to access the curriculum, the video library, and the application for the competition and lottery. This account is also the gateway to free resources on the main Gilder Lehrman website.

I created an account on the Hamilton website before the summer of 2024 but it longer works. What should I do?

In the summer of 2024, the Gilder Lehrman Institute launched a redesigned Hamilton Education Program website. You can now log into the Hamilton site with same exact email address and password that you use for the main Gilder Lehrman website. 

If you had an account on the earlier Hamilton site but not on the main Gilder Lehrman website, you will need to create a new account to access the full Hamilton website.

How do student accounts work?

There are two types of student accounts:

• Independently motivated students: Students who are at least 13 years old can create their own Gilder Lehrman account, which they can use to access the Hamilton Education Program website content. These students can explore other Gilder Lehrman offerings for students such as History U and History School on the main Gilder Lehrman website.
• Classroom Accounts: When K–12 Educators create an account on the Hamilton website, a shared classroom account is automatically created that gives students full access to the website. Teachers can share this single classroom account with all of their students. They can access the username and change the password here. Absolutely no personal information is collected for these shared classroom accounts. Students remain completely anonymous.

Where can I find the Teacher and Student Guides?

When you have created your Gilder Lehrman account, you will be able to find the Teacher and Student Guides on the “Engage & Educate” section of the EduHam website (https://hamilton.gilderlehrman.org/engage-educate). Your students will find the Student Guides under the “Get Started” menu item (https://hamilton.gilderlehrman.org/get-started/guides).

What is the difference between the Intermediate Teacher Guide and the Teacher Guide?

The Intermediate Teacher and Student Guides are designed for grades 6–8. The study of primary sources in this guide starts with the analysis of an image and then moves on to the analysis of two texts.

The Teacher and Student Guides are designed for grades 9–12. The study of primary sources in this guide begins with the analysis of two texts.

How much class time will the Hamilton Education Program Online take?

Teachers have the flexibility to implement the program at their own pace. On average, the full Hamilton Education Program Online can take about a week to implement. The program is designed to meet the requirements of most state and national education standards.

Are teachers required to implement the entire program including lesson plans, creation of performance pieces, and participation in the contest?

No, the Hamilton Education Program Online provides teachers the flexibility to use only the materials and resources that can be incorporated into their curriculum. While we encourage teachers to use as much of the material as possible and participate in the competition, it is not required.

Are there excerpted versions of the primary source materials?

Yes, all the primary sources supporting People and Events in the EduHam Online site’s Historical Research Library section are provided as excerpts of 250 words or less as well as full transcripts. Excerpts can be found on the tab to the right of the Transcript tab when clicking on a document.

Fifteen of the primary sources also have excerpts of about 100 words. These documents include

• The Case of Capt. THOMAS PRESTON of the 29th Regiment, 1770
• Phillis Wheatley’s Poem to “His Excellency General Washington,” 1775
• A Letter from George Washington to Martha Washington, June 18, 1775
• Lemuel Haynes, “Liberty Further Extended: Or Free Thoughts on the Illegality of Slave-Keeping,” 1776
• A Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams on Declaring Independence, 1776
• Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776
• A Letter from Abigail Adams to John Adams, March 31–April 5, 1776
• A Letter from George Washington to George Clinton, February 16, 1778
• Knox Announces the Surrender at Yorktown, 1781
• James Madison’s Plan for a National Government, 1787
• James Madison’s Virginia Plan, May 29, 1787
• A Letter from Mercy Otis Warren to Catharine Macaulay, September 28, 1787
• Petition to Congress for the Abolition of Slavery, 1790
• A Letter from Thomas Jefferson to the Marquis de Lafayette, June 16, 1792
• Newspaper Account of the Duel, August 2, 1804

Where do I find assistance in inspiring creativity in my students and helping them develop a performance piece?

We have created three instructional videos to help you and your students create a performance piece. “Defining Creativity,” “Writing a Scene,” and “Writing a Rap” tutorial videos can be found in the “Inspiration & Creativity” section of the EduHam Online site. 
 

Who is eligible to participate in the competition and lottery?

Any teacher in the United States who teaches grades 6–12 is eligible to enter students in the program and the national competition.

How do I participate in the competition or lottery?

In order to participate in the competition, teachers must create a Gilder Lehrman account through the program website and submit the required materials using the application forms by December 16, 2024.

In order to participate in the lottery, teachers must create a Gilder Lehrman account through the program website and submit the required materials using the application forms by February 14, 2025.

Can anyone other than a teacher submit to the competition or lottery?

If participating with a school, all entries must be submitted by a teacher on behalf of his/her student(s).

Families are able to submit performance pieces on behalf of their children. 

What needs to be submitted to enter the competition?

Teachers will be asked to submit the following information via the application form:

• Number of students in the performance video (students can work in groups of up to 3)
• The state the school is located in
• Grade level of each student 
• A written copy of the student performance piece
• A video of the student performance (optional)

What needs to be submitted to enter the lottery?

Teachers will be asked to submit the following in the form:

• A roster outlining the number of submissions, grade level of students, and the title for each piece (a template will be provided)
• The state the where the student(s) reside(s)
• The written student creative pieces in one PDF file.

How many creative pieces can I submit to the competition?

A teacher is limited to five submissions per school year.

How many creative pieces can I submit to the lottery?

A teacher can submit an unlimited number of submissions to the lottery each school year.

Can I submit to both the competition and lottery?

Yes, we encourage you to submit creative pieces to both contests. However, any pieces submitted to the competition should not be submitted to the lottery. Competition pieces will automatically be considered for the lottery if they are not selected as winners.

How many students can be involved in a single submission?

Students may work in groups of up to 3 to create one creative piece. Submissions with more than 3 students will not be considered.

Do the students need to be currently enrolled in my class?

Yes, students should be currently enrolled in your class and your school. All correspondence for the competition or lottery will go through the submitting teacher.

Am I required to participate in the competition or lottery?

No, you do not have to participate in the competition or lottery to be a part of the program.

Can more than one teacher at school submit for the competition or lottery?

Yes, schools do not have a limit as to how many teachers can submit work from their classes.

Where can I find the application form for the competition or lottery?

The application forms can be found on the Dashboard in the Hamilton Education Program Online website.

You must be enrolled in the program and logged in to access the form.

When does the application open and close?

The application will open on March 8, 2024.

The application will close on December 16, 2024. 

What are the criteria for the competition or lottery?

Submissions will be reviewed (lottery) or judged (competition) on the following components as outlined in the Project Rubric in both the student and teacher guides:

• Research: The creative piece must be based on identified primary sources from the Hamilton Education Program Online website or found through independent research and show the students’ understanding of a person, event, or document from the Founding Era.
• Historical Integrity: The creative piece must capture the meaning and message of the identified primary sources, although artistic license may be used to change certain facts or context. 
• Artistic Expression: The creative piece must provide an original interpretation of the students’ chosen topic through song, rhyme, or prose that conveys to the audience a clear, engaging message. It must be a unique expression of ideas that arises from the students’ inventiveness and creativity in their choice of character or topic, their story-telling, their lyrics, rhyme, or prose, and/or their musical compositions. The student may not copy another work or violate any party’s copyrights or trademark rights.

What is the selection process for the competition?

Competition Winners: A panel of 3 to 5 qualified judges with knowledge of the expectations of the Program will review all Submissions against the criteria listed above and provide a score for each of the components on a scale of 1 to 5, with 15 being the best score, as fully outlined in the Project Rubric in the teacher and student guides. The scored Submissions will then be provided to a finalist committee composed of 3 to 5 qualified judges with knowledge of the expectations of the Program for final determination. Each year, 10 Submissions will be selected. The students who wrote and performed in those 10 Videos will be named competition winners.  

Lottery Winners: After the deadline, a random drawing of Submissions will be conducted by the Gilder Lehrman Institute to select 10 lottery winners from among all remaining eligible entries received. Odds of winning the lottery depend on the number of entries submitted.

What is the difference between a competition winner and a lottery winner?

Competition winners will be selected by a panel of judges based on the expectations outlined in the Project Rubric.

Lottery winners will be selected using a random drawing after the 10 competition winners have been selected.

How many winners are there each year?

Each school year, a total of 20 submissions will be selected: 10 competition winners and 10 lottery winners.

How will I be notified if my students win?

The teacher who submitted the application for a winner will be notified by email by February 28, 2025.

When will the winners be announced?

Winners will be posted on the Gilder Lehrman website by March 30, 2025.

What is included in the prize?

Competition and lottery winners will be flown to New York City with a designated number of adult chaperones during April, May, or June of 2025 to attend a Hamilton Education Program full-day theater experience, including a matinee performance of Hamilton, along with high school students from the New York area.

Travel arrangements and costs (including flights, transportation to/from airport, hotel stay, and a per diem for meals) will be covered for arriving the day before the Prize until the day after the Prize (three days, two nights).

What is required to participate in the prize?

All winners and their chaperones MUST sign and return the required releases, consents, and forms by March 15, 2025. Failure to complete and submit paperwork by this deadline will result in forfeiture of the Prize, and the Gilder Lehrman Institute shall have the option to award the Prize to an alternate winner. The bounceback or return of any prize notification may result in disqualification and an alternate winner may be selected. By entering this competition or lottery, entrant accepts and agrees to these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which shall be final in all matters. All winners must also abide by the outlined chaperone and housing policies.

Are travel expenses covered for the Prize?

Travel arrangements and costs (including flights, hotel stay, and meals) will be covered for arrival the day before the Prize through the day after the Prize (three days, two nights). If winners intend to stay longer or arrive earlier than the days that are covered by the Program, it will be at their own expense.

The Sponsor will only provide matinee tickets, make arrangements, and cover the travel cost for winners and their designated chaperones. Should winners travel to New York with additional individuals, those  additional individuals will not be able to participate in the Prize activities.

How many chaperones will be able to attend with the winning students?

Depending on the grade level of the students selected, a designated number of chaperones will be allowed to attend and participate in the award activities with the winning students. The designated number of chaperones is as follows:

Students in grades 9–12

• 1 student: 1 chaperone
• 2 students: 2 chaperones
• 3 students: 2 chaperones

Students in grades 6–8

• 1 student: 1 chaperones 
• 2 students: 2 chaperones 
• 3 students: 3 chaperones

The decision of who will be a chaperone is at the sole discretion of the school and the parents.

I can't find the information I need here. What should I do?

If you have questions that are not addressed on this page, please contact us by email at hamilton@gilderlehrman.org.