Maria Gadsden, an adjunct professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Foundations at Cal State San Bernardino’s James R. Watson and Judy Rodriguez Watson College of Education, has been selected for a National Endowment for the Humanities summer institute for teachers.

Gadsden, who also teaches second grade in the San Bernardino City Unified School District’s SANKOFA magnet program, was chosen alongside 15 educators from across the nation to participate in the tuition-free program, “Saipan’s Land and Sea: Living Stories of the Past, Present, and Future.” 

The one-week residential institute will take place July 6-12 on the island of Saipan, a U.S. commonwealth in the western Pacific Ocean. The program offers K-12 educators an opportunity to study historical landmarks that reflect the island’s history, cultural resilience and experiences with conflict through place-based learning.

According to the NEH, participants will engage with Saipan’s preserved landscape and seascape to better understand landmarks significant to U.S. history and the enduring stories of the island’s people.

Gadsden has dedicated more than three decades to education and advocacy for students. In addition to teaching in SBCUSD’s SANKOFA magnet program, she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses at CSUSB focused on preparing future educators to support diverse learners.

A graduate of CSUSB’s educational administration master’s program, Gadsden has also been recognized as a California Education Policy Fellow for the 2025-26 term and participates in SBCUSD’s Future Administrators Program.