AP World History: Modern Summer Institute (Project-Based Learning Focus) A National Board Certified secondary social studies teacher, James has spent his days for the past 25 years, teaching AP World History, AP European History and/or World History to sophomores, juniors and seniors, averaging 180-200 students per year at The Woodlands High School in The Woodlands, Texas. Prior to teaching at TWHS, James had taught English grammar and literature, World Geography and U.S history to grades 5-9. In addition, James was the AP Program Facilitator for The Woodlands High School, coordinating and participating in AP classrooms across the district. James volunteers as an AP Advocate, sharing information and statistics to promote AP courses for students of all backgrounds and abilities. He has taught AP World History in an open enrollment classroom, since its inception in 2002 and is an endorsed national and international College Board consultant for Pre-AP and AP World History and AP European History for over 20 years, working to help teachers and school districts achieve their APWH success. Every year, Mr. Rowland had over 110-130 students take the AP World History exam and 40-60 upperclassmen take the elective AP European History exam. James was and AP European History exam reader from 1999-2001, before starting, in 2002, as an AP World History exam reader, table leader, early table leader (sample selector), and is currently a question leader for Educational Testing Service and loves spending the first two weeks of every summer, in quiet quarantined isolated seclusion, with two to three thousand teachers and professors, reading student-generated essays on a computer screen for eight hours a day. Mr Rowland loves traveling and has traveled extensively, visiting historic and cultural sites on six of the seven continents with both student groups and individually. When not corrupting the youth of The Woodlands, James is at home, grading essays, working on his computer, watching the Smithsonian Channel, reading books and journals to create historical chaos in his classroom, or devising ways to further torture his students. He is most proud of his two daughters and his six granddaughters, ages 1-16 years. Strangely, none of his personal progeny has taken a liking to history as much as their father/grandfather, however he is often asked random historical queries by them. While many of his former students could not be dissuaded from becoming underpaid, overworked, and underappreciated history teachers. While his appearance has often been confused with that of the jolly old elf himself, James is not, in fact, he, although James does appear at some holiday venues in that guise for his side-hustle. Join us in Hawaii at Farrington High School, June 20-23, 2026 and experience Aloha! Mahalo
SPEAKER
DR. ERIC HAHN
Dr. Eric Hahn has been teaching in the Advanced Placement (AP) program since 1996, and currently teaches AP® World History. Dr. Hahn has been an essay reader and table leader for the College Board for the past twenty-two years.
Eric’s undergraduate work took place at Antioch College where he earned his PhD from St. Louis University in Curriculum and Instruction in 1999. Eric has been a consultant for the College Board since 1997. Eric served as both department chair and k-12 curriculum coordinator for his school district while teaching AP® courses. During this time, with two colleagues, he helped begin a program designed to boost enrollment and success for African American and Hispanic students. He received recognition as a Peabody Leaders in Education Award, World Affairs Council Teacher of the Year, the Benjamin Hooks Excellence in Education Award, and Outstanding Educator from the University of Chicago.
Mahalo, and welcome to the Hawai‘I APSI 2026
A New Location, New Experience and a New Sense of Aloha!
(The Aloha Spirit - compassion and kindness to all with whom we cross paths in our everyday lives.)