The World History Symposium, launched on the initiative of Deborah Smith Johnston of the World History Center, began in 1998 with a plan to link a range of teacher outreach centers in a collaborative effort to support teachers of world history. Roughly twenty centers have participated each year, including area-studies outreach centers, geographers global studies centers, museums, and other organizations.

Symposium IV, 2001: "Connections in World History:
    Highlights of Past Symposia"
Symposium III, 2001: "Personal Identities and Public Communities
    in World History"
Symposium II, 2000: "Ethics and Justice in World History"
Symposium I, 1999: "Exchange and Conflict in World History"