Washington High School history teacher Jacob Edsel is bringing national-level learning opportunities to students after being selected to participate in a prestigious Smithsonian Institution education program focused on democracy, dialogue, and community history.

Last school year, Edsel was chosen to take part in the Democracy and Dialogue Virtual Exchange (DiDVE), an initiative of the Smithsonian’s Office of the Under Secretary for Education. The selection process was highly competitive and required written essays outlining his teaching philosophy and passion for education, along with multiple interviews. Edsel was the only educator from Missouri selected for the cohort and has since participated in three DiDVE groups.

Democracy and Dialogue is designed to bring the Smithsonian’s educational resources directly into classrooms across the country. The program connects students from different communities and encourages them to explore diverse cultures, histories, and civic experiences while examining how local stories contribute to the broader American democratic experience.

“This program opens doors for students to connect with people and perspectives they might never encounter otherwise,” Edsel said. “It helps them see that their own community history is part of something much larger and more meaningful.”

In January of last year, Edsel traveled to Washington, D.C., for a week-long professional development experience. He worked with educators from across the nation under the guidance of Smithsonian specialists and participated in workshops and collaborative planning sessions with representatives from several Smithsonian museums.

“Being able to collaborate directly with Smithsonian experts and other passionate educators was incredible,” Edsel said. “The level of knowledge and creativity in the room was inspiring, and I knew I wanted to bring that energy back to my students.”

Edsel recently was invited to return to Washington, D.C., to serve as an Advanced Education Facilitator. Returning participants were required to reapply, and acceptance was even more competitive. In his new role, Edsel supported and mentored new cohort members as they began implementing the program in their own schools.

During his first cohort experience, Edsel led more than 20 Washington Middle School students through the DiDVE program. Students conducted hands-on research connecting national themes to local history, visited museums in St. Louis, and explored the Washington community with support from Katie from the Washington Historical Society.

“The students really took ownership of their projects,” Edsel said. “They weren’t just learning history from a textbook. They were uncovering real stories from their own town and sharing them with others.”

Student projects have focused on a wide range of Washington history and culture, including the Washington Town and Country Fair, Dairy Delight, the Meerschaum corn cob pipe factory, downtown Washington construction, German immigrants and the wine and brewing industry, music education in Washington, Civil War history in the community, and the zither, a stringed instrument played like a slide guitar that has deep roots in German heritage. Each student had a specific role and responsibility as they researched, interviewed community members, and created presentations to share what they learned.

The semester culminated in a pop-up exhibit at the Washington Historical Society, where students presented multimedia displays and explained their research process to a large number of visitors. The project was a significant success and was featured on the front page of The Missourian.

This year, Edsel has expanded the program to Washington High School. After an initial attempt as a club with limited participation, he received approval from administration to implement DiDVE within his first-hour American History class. Students will participate in a virtual exchange with Florida Virtual Academy and focus on civic engagement within the Washington community.

“I’m excited to see where this next group of students takes it,” Edsel said. “The goal is to help them understand that they have a voice in their community and a role in our democratic process.”

Edsel plans to continue building on past successes by deepening student connections to local history, national dialogue, and active participation in civic life.