Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshops are offered by the National Endowment for the Humanities to provide K-12 educators with the opportunity to engage in intensive study and discussion of important topics and issues in American history and culture, while providing them with direct experiences in the interpretation of significant historical sites and the use of archival and other primary evidence. Prior to completing an application, please review the enclosed letter from the project director (or letter downloaded from the director’s website, if available) and consider carefully what is expected in terms of residence and attendance, reading and writing requirements, and participation in the work of the project.
Landmarks Workshops will allow 40-50 teachers at a time to collaborate with core faculty and visiting scholars. The Workshops are designed to present the best available scholarship on a specific landmark or related cluster of landmarks, while enabling participants to gain a sense of the importance of historical places, to make connections between the Workshop content and what they teach, and to develop enhanced teaching materials for their classrooms.
These projects are designed principally for classroom teachers in public, private, parochial, and charter schools, as well as home schooling parents. Other K-12 school personnel, including administrators, substitute teachers, classroom paraprofessionals, and librarians, are eligible to participate, subject to available space.
Teachers at schools in the United States or its territorial possessions or Americans teaching in foreign schools where at least 50 percent of the students are American nationals are eligible for this program. Applicants must be United States citizens, residents of U.S. jurisdictions, or foreign nationals who have been residing in the United States or its territories for at least the three years immediately preceding the application deadline. Foreign nationals teaching abroad are not eligible to apply. Individuals may not apply to participate in a Workshop given by the same director on the same topic in which they have previously participated; in other words, they should not apply to attend the same Workshop twice. Individuals may not apply to study with a director of a Landmarks project who is a family member. Preference will be given to those who are new to the program.
Applicants must complete the NEH application cover sheet and provide all of the information requested below to be considered eligible. An individual may apply to and participate in no more than two Landmarks projects.
A selection committee (consisting in most cases of the project director, one of the project scholars, and a veteran teacher) will read and evaluate all properly completed applications. Special consideration is given to the likelihood that an applicant will benefit professionally and personally from the Workshop experience. It is important, therefore, to address each of the following factors in preparing the application essay:
Teachers selected to participate will receive a stipend of $500 at the end of the residential Workshop session. Stipends are intended to help cover ordinary living expenses, books, and travel expenses to and from the Workshop location. Travel supplements will be available, but will be allocated on a case-by-case basis after the Workshop session is over. Stipends and travel supplements are taxable.
Workshop participants are required to attend all scheduled meetings and to engage fully in all project activities. Participants who do not complete the full tenure of the project will receive a reduced stipend.
Participants will provide NEH with an assessment of their Workshop experience, especially in terms of its value to their personal and professional development. You will be asked to provide a confidential evaluation at the close of the Workshop.
This application packet should contain a letter from the project director describing in detail the content of the Workshop, the institutional setting, what is expected of participants, and specific provisions for lodging and subsistence. In some cases, directors have websites for their projects and the information letter may be downloaded from their website. All application materials should be sent to the project director at the address listed on the program poster. Sending application materials and reference letters to the Endowment will result in delay. Please indicate on the application cover sheet your first and second choices of Workshop dates.
A completed application consists of three copies of the following collated items:
The application cover sheet must be filled out on line at this address:
http://www.neh.gov/online/education/participants/
Please fill it out on line as directed by the prompts. When you are finished, be sure to click on the “submit” button. Print out the cover sheet and add it to your application package. At that point you will be asked if you want to apply to another workshop. If you do, follow the prompts and select another workshop and then print out the cover sheet for that workshop.
Please include a detailed résumé.
The application essay should be no more than one double spaced page. The essay should address your professional background and interest in the subject of the Workshop; your special perspectives, skills, or experiences that would contribute to the Workshop; and how the experience would enhance your teaching or school service.
Applicants should provide a letter of recommendation from their school principal, department head, district administrator, or home-schooling association president as appropriate. It is helpful for referees to read the description of the project sent by the director and the application essay. Please ask your referee to sign his/her name across the seal on the back of the envelope containing the letter, and enclose the letter with your application.
Completed applications should be submitted to the project director and should be postmarked no later than March 17, 2008.
Successful applicants will be notified of their selection by April 16, 2008, and they will have until April 23, 2008 to accept or decline the offer. Applicants who will not be home during the notification period should provide an address and phone number where they can be reached. No information concerning the status of an application will be available prior to the official notification period.
Endowment programs do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age. For further information, write to NEH Equal Opportunity Officer, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20506. TDD: 202/606 8282 (this is a special telephone device for the Deaf).