History of the institute
The American Institute for History Education (AIHE) was founded in 2003 to provide history teachers with high-quality professional development programs, firmly anchored in rich historical content, along with substantive historical lessons, activities and resources to use in their classrooms. AIHE appreciates the tremendous need for teachers to have access to optimum quality historical content and more advanced resources. Study after study, and results from National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) testing, demonstrate that American students are not receiving competent history education opportunities. Both students and teachers have been subjected to banal textbooks and programs that barely skim over the crucial issues in American History.
Students need to be engaged in substantive historical content. Only through reading solid, exciting historical narratives, while being engaged in intellectually stimulating activities, and then working with primary source materials, will students grasp the essential events of American History and proficiently comprehend the crucial issues of modern society.
AIHE is based in historic Swedesboro, NJ, which was settled by Finnish and Swedish settlers in the mid-1600s. The main thoroughfare, Kings Highway, was originally commissioned by the English Colonial government in 1691, who wanted to connect settlements in Burlington and Salem. The early settlers, in what was at the time called Raccoon after the nearby creek, developed farming on the fertile soils in the area, traded with the local Indians and sent furs, tobacco and other products back to Sweden. In 1703, the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church became the first Swedish church built in New Jersey. In that same year, Kings Highway finally reached the area, allowing the town to grow faster. In 1765, residents of Raccoon changed the name of the town to Swedesboro.
AIHE occupies two facilities in Swedesboro. Our headquarters location at 1514 Kings Highway is known locally as the Dupper House. This house, built in 1908, is one of three homes built by Charles Peddle of Philadelphia, and has a tile roof and stucco exterior. Our accounting, HR and scheduling department staff work in this building.
Our second location at 1455 Kings Highway is known locally as the Amos Hurff House and was built around 1890. This home showcases a late Queen Ann Victorian style, with round classic columns, wraparound porch, hipped roof with lower cross gables and a round tower. Our IT department, sales, marketing and CICERO departments reside in this building.
In 2009, AIHE expanded to open an office in Shelby, North Carolina.