The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is offering two exciting educational opportunities this spring -- one for the students in Indiana and one for teachers.

Please visit www.neh.gov for details on both the Idea of America Essay Contest and the Landmarks of American History summer workshops. For more information, please feel free to call our Public Affairs Office at 202-606-8446. Anything you can do to help spread the word about these two exciting programs to your students and teachers will be most appreciated.

In 1986 the Christa McAuliffe Reach for the Stars Award was established to help classroom teachers "reach for the stars" and achieve a dream that under ordinary circumstances would not be fulfilled.

Please visit the website for information about this important award. The Fund for the Advancement of Social Studies Education (FASSE) was created in 1984 by the Board of Directors of National Council for the Social Studies. The purpose of the fund is to support research and classroom application projects which improve social studies education, foster enlightened citizenship, and promote civic competence.

Governor's Award for Excellence in the Teaching of History

The Indiana Council for History Education, in cooperation with the Indiana Association of Historians and the Indiana Historical Society, invites nominations for the Governor's Award for Excellence in the Teaching of History. Both elementary and secondary school teachers are eligible for the award. Complete rules and information are available on the ICHE website or call 800-675-8897, ext. 128, for details.

Preserve America Award and the
Indiana Council for History Educators Governor's Award

Preserve America is a White House initiative to assist communities in preserving their cultural and natural resources. A part of that program is the History Teacher of the Year. This segment of the initiative is generously supported by the Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History. Finalists will be selected annually from each State, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories.

The Indiana Department of Education and the Indiana Council for History Education are actively seeking nominations for this year's award.

State winners will receive $1,000 and a core archive of history materials for their school library. A "National Preserve America History Teacher of the Year" will be selected from the group of State finalists. The winner, together with the nominating supervisor, will be flown to Washington, DC, for recognition in a ceremony.

Here is the information about nominating a Preserve America Teacher of the Year for 2006 for Indiana. Nominations and supportive material need to be mailed by April 30, to:

Don Adams
550 North Indiana Street
Mooresville, IN 46158

George F. Cram Social Studies Awards Collaborations

Each year the George F. Cram Company collaborates with two professional social studies organizations to recognize outstanding social studies educators. We work with the National Council for Social Studies to present a $2500.00 award to an individual or a school who have created exemplary work in furthering geographic education.

In addition, Cram works with National Council for Geographic Education to recognize outstanding geography classroom teachers. We support five awards that are given to teachers at the annual NCGE convention. Each award is worth $750.00.

You can download the form for the NCSS award here. You can download the application form for the NCGE award here.

American Association for State and Local History Awards Program

The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) invites submissions to the 2006 Awards Program. Now in its 61st year, the Annual Awards Program is the most prestigious national recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of local, state, and regional history.

The Awards Program was initiated in 1945 to establish and encourage standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history throughout America.

The AASLH Awards Program recognized exemplary work completed by state or federal historical societies, institutions, or agencies; regional, county, or local historical societies, institutions, or agencies; specialized subject societies in related fields such as oral history, genealogy, folklore, archaeology, business history, railroad history, etc.; junior historical societies; privately owned museums or foundations; individuals; and organizations outside the field of traditional historical agencies. Nominees need not be members of AASLH to qualify.