In 2001, the federal government launched the Teaching American History Grant (TAH) program with the goal of supporting funding of programs that raised student achievement by improving teachers' knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of American history. The program was largely the inspiration of Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, who expressed concern about the state of American history teaching in the nation’s K-12 schools and urged his Senate colleagues to take action.

That first year, the U.S. Department of Education awarded 60 grants worth approximately $60 million to school districts and their project partners across the nation. Since then, the TAH program has increased the level of funding and the number of proposals accepted, with 114 projects funded in 2002, another 114 in 2003, 122 in 2004, and 129 in 2005. The purpose of these grants is to promote the teaching of traditional American history in elementary and secondary schools as a separate academic subject. Grantees typically receive up to $1 million over a three-year period. The program demonstrates how school districts and institutions with expertise in American history can collaborate over a three-year period to ensure that teachers develop the knowledge and skills necessary to teach traditional American history in an exciting and engaging way.

To date, 20 TAH grants have been awarded to Ohio school districts or educational service centers and their partners, which include universities and colleges, museums, historic sites, and libraries. The links below provide basic information about and access to the web sites, if available, of each Ohio TAH project.