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AP Summer Institute

The AP Summer Institute (APSI) at Eastern Kentucky University is one of the most intensive, engaging professional development opportunities available!

During this 4-day Institute, attendees will engage in at least 30 hours of content-specific instruction and collaboration designed to strengthen their effectiveness in the classroom. Each APSI course is taught by a College Board certified consultant.

Your expert consultant will guide you through resources such as designing your courses, reviewing samples of student work and scoring guidelines, as well as examining feedback from the most recent exams.

The training is expected to be held in-person as well as online, depending on the session. Please be sure to confirm if your session will meet in-person or virtually.

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AP Course Offerings

During these AP Summer Institute courses, you will explore the course framework, the exam, and the new AP resources that will help you plan and focus instruction—and give you feedback throughout the year on the areas where individual students need additional focus. You’ll also learn about completing the digital activation process at the start of the school year that will give you immediate access to the new resources and will help ensure that your students can register for AP Exams by the new fall deadlines. By attending this APSI, you’ll gain deeper insight into the following key takeaways, among several others: Understand the Course; Plan the Course; Teach the Course; Assess Student Progress; and Engage as a Member of the AP Community. In addition, specific attention will be paid to the following AP Classroom resources: unit guides, personal progress checks, AP teacher community, and the AP question bank.

These sessions will be held in person at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, KY the week of June 9-12, 2026.

  • African American Studies
    Consultant: TBA January 2026
  • Art & Design
    Consultant: Martin Loftus
  • Biology
    Consultant: Kelcey Burris
  • Business Principles & Personal Finance
    Consultant: TBA January 2026
  • Calculus AB
    Consultant: Stephen Barbarosse
  • Chemistry
    Consultant: Tom Greenbowe and Marian Dewane
  • English Language & Composition
    Consultant: Mary Jo Zell
  • English Literature & Composition
    Consultant: John Williamson
  • Environmental Science PBL
    Consultant: TBA January 2026
  • Human Geography
    Consultant: Rita Crone Hines
  • Physics 1
    Consultant: Jim Vander Weide
  • Precalculus
    Consultant: Stephanie Duncan
  • U.S. Government & Politics
    Consultant: TBA January 2026
  • Spanish Language
    Consultant: Frank Masel
  • Spanish Language
    Consultant: Frank Masel
  • Statistics
    Consultant: Daren Starnes
  • World History: Modern
    Consultant: Heather Campbell   
Register for In-Person Session
Register for In-Person PBL Session
Register for In-Person
Business Principles & Personal Finance Course

These sessions will be held in a virtual setting the week of August 3-6, 2026.

  • Art History
    Consultant: Stephen Secules
  • Business Principles & Personal Finance
    Consultant: TBA January 2026
  • English Language & Composition
    Consultant: Brandon Abdon
  • English Literature & Composition
    Consultant: Elizabeth Davis
  • Precalculus
    Consultant: Kelley Hemmerling
  • Psychology
    Consultant: Sean Tischler
  • Spanish Language
    Consultant: Monica Friedman      
  • Statistics
    Consultant: Daren Starnes
  • US Government & Politics
    Consultant: Stephen Meinhold
  • US History
    Consultant: Susan Pingel
Register for Online Session
Register for Online Business Principles
& Personal Finance Course

The in-person 2026 EKU AP Capstone will take place the week of June 9-12, 2026! The two online 2026 EKU AP Capstone sessions will occur virtually the week of August 3-6, 2026 and August 24-27, 2026!

The AP Capstone at Eastern Kentucky University offers in-depth, engaging professional development opportunities that focus on AP Seminar, AP Seminar for English Instructors (ELA), and AP Research.

Attendees will engage in at least 30 hours of content-specific instruction and collaboration designed to strengthen their effectiveness in the classroom. Each AP Capstone course is taught by a College Board certified consultant.

Offering the AP Capstone program gives school leaders and teachers academic distinction, flexible student-centered curricula, access to training, and more.

Benefits for School Leaders:

  • AP Seminar is an introductory AP class for grades 10 and 11, and serves as a prerequisite for AP Research, which is typically offered in grades 11 or 12. Both courses are designed as yearlong courses.
  • These courses can be assigned to a variety of academic departments, allowing flexibility for school leaders to maximize student access.
  • AP Seminar is increasingly placed in English/language arts departments as a 10th-grade course. Learn why AP Seminar is an excellent option to enhance 10th-grade English.
  • AP Research is typically placed in English/language arts, science, or social science departments for 11th- or 12th-grade enrollments.

At this time, the training is held in-person as well as online. Please be sure to confirm if your session will meet in-person or virtually. The in-person training will be conducted in compliance with all university, local, state, and national public health guidelines.

Register for the 2026 EKU AP Capstone

Register for Capstone Virtual Session Register for Capstone On-Site Session

Reviews from Attendees

“I feel well-prepared to teach the class. [The consultant’s] valuable experience and generosity in sharing his classroom materials along with his guidance and continuous feedback were all very worthwhile. I have attended AP US Gov’t and Politics and AP Seminar training but I think this AP Research training was the most effective.”

“This APSI was one of the best I’ve been to.”

“The entire experience from registering through attending for 5 days was a very smooth and efficient process.”

“I was very impressed with the amount of support offered by the instructor. It’s very overwhelming but she did an incredible job breaking it down for us, giving us tools for organizing the course in our classrooms, expectations and essential information.”

Sample In-Person Schedule

NOTE: This is a sample schedule based on the 2026 on-campus EKU APSI but represents the approximate amount of time to expect synchronous meeting time and the general times during the day when to expect those sessions.

Instructors will share a course-specific schedule closer to the AP Summer Institute.

7:15am-8:30am: Registration/Check-In for Participants – Science Building

8:30am-12:00pm: Class – Science Building

12:00pm-12:30pm: Lunch – Case Dining Hall

12:30pm-4:30pm: Class – Science Building

4:45pm: Graduate Credit Course Informational Meeting – Science Building

8:30am-12:00pm: Class – Science Building

12:00pm-12:30pm: Lunch – Case Dining Hall

12:30pm-4:30pm: Class – Science Building

Sample Online Schedule

NOTE: This is a sample schedule from the 2025 virtual EKU APSI but represents the approximate amount of time to expect synchronous meeting time and the general times during the day when to expect those sessions.

Instructors will share a course-specific schedule closer to the start of the online AP Summer Institute.

9:00am-10:30am
Morning Meeting via Zoom

  • Introductions
  • Overview of the Week and Expectations
  • The AP Course and Course Materials

10:45am-12:45pm
Breakout Discussions via Zoom

  • Small Group Discussions
  • Small Group Activities

1:15pm-6:00pm
Individual Activities via using Zoom when needed

  • Readings and APSI Workbook Activities
  • Discussion Boards

Professional Development

The EKU APSI is an opportunity recognized by the Kentucky Department of Education and may count toward required professional development hours.

Participants will receive certificates of completion for 30 hours on the last day of the APSI, and may submit certificates to their school districts for 3 CEU hours at no additional cost.

For more information or for an additional copy of your APSI certificate, please contact Keeley Gadd (Keeley.Gadd@eku.edu) with your name and the course you were enrolled in.

Earn Graduate Credit at the APSI

EKU Graduate credit is available for participants registered in the 2026 In-Person APSI @ EKU for an additional cost of $200.00. To receive graduate credit, enrolled participants must complete a supplemental 3-hour ESE 807 class. Assignments for the graduate course must be submitted by August 7, 2026.

Students develop pedagogical content knowledge and learn effective strategies to teach Advanced Placement© (AP) courses. Through an analysis of the AP curriculum frameworks and assessments, students will develop a syllabus, course calendar, and assessment plan.

Please indicate on the APSI registration form if interested in this opportunity.

Participants interested in earning graduate credit for the APSI (and who are not currently admitted as graduate students at EKU) will need to apply to the Graduate School as a Non-Degree Seeking Graduate Student prior to attending APSI. Click on the link below.

The application can be found here.

Registration Information

We can’t wait for you to join us at the 2026 EKU APSIs! The in-person AP Summer Institute is held June 9-12, 2026. The online AP Summer Institute will occur August 3-6, 2026, and a second online APSI-Only Capstone sessions will be offered August 24-27, 2026.

NOTE: Only register if you intend to be the participant attending the session. Do not register on behalf of a participant.

The early bird registration fee for each participant is $800 for non-lab courses and $850 for lab courses if registered by May 10, 2026. Regular registration for each participant is $900 for non-lab courses and $950 for lab courses if registered May 11-31, 2026. Late registrations begin on June 1, 2026 and must contact apsievents@eku.edu directly. Late fees will apply.

Capstone, PBL, and Business Principles & Personal Finance Sessions  add The set fee for each participant is $1075 for each Capstone, PBL, and Business Principles & Personal Finance course through May 31 2026.  Late registrations begin on June 1, 2026 and you must contact apsievents@eku.edu directly.

Additional updates will be communicated to participants directly.

August 3-6, 2026 Regular APSI Sessions

The Early bird registration fee for each participant is $900 if registered by June 28, 2026. Regular registration for each participant will be $1000 if registered during June 29- July 26, 2026. Late registrations begin on July 27, 2026 and you must contact apsievents@eku.edu directly. Late fees will apply.

August 3-6, 2026 Capstone and Business Principles & Personal Finance Sessions

The set fee for each participant is $1075 for each Capstone and Business Principles & Personal Finance course through July 26, 2026.  Late registration begins on July 27, 2026 and you must contact apsievents@eku.edu directly.

August 24-27, 2026 Capstone Sessions

The set fee for each participant is $1075 for each Capstone course through Augst 15, 2026.   Late registration begins on August 16, 2026 and you must contact apsievents@eku.edu directly.

Additional updates will be communicated to participants directly.

Once registered, participants are sent an invoice via the email address provided within 10 EKU business days of registering. The invoice can be paid by check (made to Eastern Kentucky University), card, or purchase order.

Please refer to the directions listed on the invoice for how to submit payment. Participants who have not received a scholarship or grant funding are required to submit full payment for the Summer Institute by the first day of the APSI, if not submitted in advance. If full payment or PO is not received by registration/check-in, you may not be eligible to participate in the Summer Institute., so please call Keeley Gadd at 859-622-7158 if you need assistance.

If a registration needs to be cancelled, the participant should log back into the registration website and cancel it individually. Cancellation dates and refund policies for each APSI are the following:

In-Person: There is a $100.00 cancellation fee if canceled by May 3, 2026; a 50% cancellation fee if canceled between May 4-May 24, 2026; and no refund if canceled May 25, 2026 or after.

Online: There is a $100.00 cancellation fee if canceled by June 28, 2026; a 50% cancellation fee if canceled between June 29- July 12, 2026; and no refund if canceled July 13, 2026 or after.

Online August 24-27, 2026: There is a $100.00 cancellation fee if canceled by July 19, 2026; a 50% cancellation fee if canceled between July 20- August 2, 2026; and no refund if canceled August 3, 2026 of after.

Participant Grants to Attend APSI

For additional information, please visit the AP College Board webpage available here.

  • Teacher must be teaching an AP course in the 2026-27 academic year.
  • Not have attended an APSI or received College Board funding for the same course.
  • Not have received professional learning funding from your school, district, or state- so select “other” as payment type until you have received the grant decision. 
  • AP Participant Grant Application – this will become available in March 2026, but you can go to the College Board website and fill out an interest form and they will notify you when to apply.

To qualify, you must:

  • Teach an AP course in the upcoming school year
  • Not receive professional learning funding from your state, district, or school so select “other” as payment type until you have received the grant decision. 

College Board APSI participant grants cover the cost of tuition and lab fees (if applicable) at a College Board endorsed APSI fitting the criteria of the grant. After APSI sessions start, APSIs invoice the College Board directly for the cost of tuition and lab fees (if applicable). The College Board then pays the tuition cost directly to the APSI.

Please note: Participant grants only cover the cost of tuition and lab fees (if applicable) up to the scholarship amount; all other APSI costs, including but not limited to tuition cost above scholarship amount, lodging, and food, are the responsibility of the scholarship recipient and should be billed to the scholarship recipient, not College Board.

If you have applied or plan to apply for an AP Participant Grant, please select “other” as payment type until after you have received your grant decision. If you are not approved for a grant, you will need to complete your payment prior to the start of the APSI.

In-Person: There is a $100.00 cancellation fee if canceled by May 3, 2026; a 50% cancellation fee if canceled between May 4-May 24, 2026; and no refund if canceled May 25, 2026 or after.

Online August 3-6, 2026: There is a $100.00 cancellation fee if canceled by June 28, 2026; a 50% cancellation fee if canceled between June 29- July 12, 2026; and no refund if canceled July 13, 2026 or after.

Online August 24-27, 2026: There is a $100.00 cancellation fee if canceled by July 19, 2026; a 50% cancellation fee if canceled between July 20- August 2, 2026; and no refund if canceled August 3, 2026 of after.

FAQs

In-Person APSI: Tuesday, June 9 – Friday, June 12, 2026 Virtual APSI

(Online #1): Monday, August 3 – Thursday, August 6, 2026

Virtual APSI (Online #2): Monday, August 24 – Thursday, August 27, 2026

The in-person APSI is held on EKU’s campus inside the Sciences Building. The physical address for the facility is 533 John Hanlon Dr., Richmond, KY 40475.

The virtual APSIs will be hosted online using Zoom.

Participants will receive parking directions as well as a map in their event communications leading up to the APSI. Parking will be available behind the Sciences Building in the Brockton Lot and John Hanlon Lot. ADA parking will be available next to the Sciences Building in the Dizney Lot. There are no additional costs for parking.

On-Campus Registration Fees
Regular APSI Sessions
The early bird registration fee for each participant is $800 for non-lab courses and $850 for lab courses if registered by May 10, 2026. Regular registration for each participant is $900 for non-lab courses and $950 for lab courses if registered between May 11- May 31, 2026. Late registrations begin on June 1, 2026 and you must contact apsievents@eku.edu directly. Late fees will apply.

Capstone, PBL, and Business Principles & Personal Finance Sessions  The set fee for each participant is $1075 for each Capstone, PBL, and Business Principles & Personal Finance course through May 31, 2026.  Late registrations begin on June 1, 2026 and you must contact apsievents@eku.edu directly.  

Online Registration Fees
The Early bird registration fee for each participant is $900 if registered by June 28, 2026. Regular registration for each participant is $1000 if registered between June 29- July 26, 2026. Late registrations begin on July 27, 2026 and you must contact apsievents@eku.edu directly. Late fees will apply.

August 3-6, 2026 Capstone and Business Principles & Personal Finance Sessions
The set fee for each participant is $1075 for each Capstone and Business Principles & Personal Finance course if you register by July 26, 2026.  Late registrations begin on July 27, 2026 and you must contact apsievents@eku.edu directly.

August 24-27, 2026 Capstone Sessions
The set fee for each participant is $1075 for each Capstone course if you register by August 15, 2026.  Late registrations begin on August 16, 2026 and you must contact apsievents@eku.edu directly.

No, school administrators are not able to register teachers for an APSI. AP teachers must register themselves using their College Board account. Teachers should coordinate payment for the APSI with their administrator offline.

Once registered, participants are sent an invoice via the email address provided within 10 EKU business days of registering. The invoice can be paid by check (made to Eastern Kentucky University), card, or purchase order.

Please refer to the directions listed on the invoice for how to submit payment. Participants who have not received a scholarship or grant funding are required to submit full payment for the Summer Institute by the first day of the APSI, if not submitted in advance. If full payment is not received by registration/check-in, you may not be eligible to participate in the Summer Institute.

College Board offers APSI participants the opportunity to apply for an AP Participant Grant, which will cover the cost of the tuition to an APSI. For more information on eligibility and the application, please visit the College Board AP Participants Grants webpage.

In-Person APSI
There is a $100.00 cancellation fee if canceled by May 3, 2026; a 50% cancellation fee if canceled by May 24, 2026; and no refund if canceled after May 24, 2026.

Virtual August 3-6, 2026 APSI (Online #1)
There is a $100.00 cancellation fee if canceled by June 28, 2026; a 50% cancellation fee if canceled by July 12, 2026; and no refund if canceled after July 12, 2026.

Virtual August 24-27, 2026 APSI (Online #2)
There is a $100.00 cancellation fee if canceled by July 19, 2026; a 50% cancellation fee if canceled by August 2, 2026; and no refund if canceled after August 2, 2026.

Each participant is encouraged to bring a personal laptop and a copy of the textbook they will use and the current course outline if available. A full list of materials needed will be shared with registrants at least by the week before the APSI.

ATTENTION: EKU’s wi-fi network has a pop-up window that will require guests to accept the terms in order to complete their internet connection. If using a school-issued computer, you MUST have your high school grant permission for pop-up windows. If you are unable to have this approved, you will not be able to connect to the guest wi-fi, which is needed for the coursework. We highly encourage participants to bring a personal laptop so that they have the permissions required to connect to the wi-fi.

There is no official dress code, but most participants dress casually. Remember you are working alongside your peers in a learning environment. Science-based courses will have additional requirements, such as closed-toe shoes.

To receive graduate credit, APSI participants must register for the on campus APSI in June and add the Graduate Credit option to their APSI registration for a supplemental cost of $200. Participants interested in earning graduate credit for the APSI (and who are not currently admitted as graduate students at EKU) will need to apply to the Graduate School as a Non-Degree Seeking Graduate Student prior to attending APSI. Enrolled participants must complete a supplemental 3-hour ESE 807 class. Assignments for the graduate course must be submitted by August 7, 2026. The application can be found on here.

Participants may modify or cancel their registration at any time. All cancellations will be subject to the refund policy. For any cancellations, we encourage registrants to contact the EKU APSI Team immediately at apsievents@eku.edu.

Yes, another teacher may take your place for registration. If any replacements are required, please contact the EKU APSI Team immediately for assistance at apsievents@eku.edu.

Once registered, you will receive the invoice within 10 EKU business days. You will also receive the official EKU Welcome Letter inviting you to the EKU APSI with additional information about the upcoming event. Additional session and event-based information will be shared the week prior to the start of the APSI.

Yes, we are happy to be partnered with local hotel accommodations who are offering discounted rates for attendees of the EKU AP Summer Institute. Direct links to the discounted rate for APSI guests are listed below by hotel with nightly costs.

Hampton Inn Richmond
1099 Barnes Mill Rd.
Richmond, KY 40475
859-626-1002
Nightly Rate: $115/night
Please click here to book with Hampton Inn Richmond!

TRU by Hilton Richmond1020 Amberly Way
Richmond, KY 40475
859-544-6312
Nightly Rate: $115/night
Please click here to book with TRU by Hilton Richmond!

All hotels are located off exit 87 on I-75, and approximately 1 mile from the AP Summer Institute site. Additional accommodations are available, including TownePlace Suites Richmond, Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Quality Inn, and Best Western.

Certificates are emailed to the email listed on the registration on the final day of the session. If you cannot locate your certificate or have questions about past certificates, please email apsievents@eku.edu.

Attendee Reviews

  • The discussions were invaluable. I feel like I’m walking away with so many great ideas for how to cover the skills in a cohesive way. This is such a terrific experience that I’ve done three times now. Each time, I walk away feeling more confident, but this time, I truly feel like I have direction that will be meaningful for my students.

  • I feel more confident about teaching this course than I have from any other workshops or mentorship.

  • The lessons were on target with what we needed to know, and the discussions and group work were very informative and necessary. The resources are what we need and organized in a user-friendly fashion.

  • EKU is a super caring group that has gone out of its way to help all APSI attendees. Thank you all SO much! I’m definitely looking forward to seeing you in future APSIs.

EKU AP Teachers’ Choice Award

Each participant at an EKU AP Summer Institute has the opportunity to nominate one of their AP students for a $500.00 scholarship to Eastern Kentucky University! 

The EKU AP Teachers’ Choice Award allows AP educators/coordinators who attend the EKU APSI to recognize one AP student of their choice for academic excellence, hard work, and dedication in the participation of an AP course and exam. 

Certificates and guidelines are distributed at the end of the final day of an EKU AP Summer Institute. This information is also emailed to each participant after the APSI. 
Please submit award nominations to Keeley.Gadd@eku.edu.

Contact Information

Center for Educator Excellence

Donovan Building Annex
Room 4001
Richmond, KY 40475

Keeley Gadd
859-622-7158
keeley.gadd@eku.edu
 
Jesi Biven
859-622-2762
apsievents@eku.edu