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NEH SUMMER SEMINARS AND INSTITUTES FOR SCHOOL TEACHERS
APPLICATION INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS
Please review the eligibility criteria for participation in Summer Seminars by clicking the Eligibility link in the menu on the left.
Summer Seminars and Institutes for School Teachers are offered by the National Endowment for the Humanities to provide teachers an opportunity for substantive study of significant humanities ideas and texts. These study opportunities are especially designed for this program and are not intended to duplicate courses normally offered by graduate programs. On completion of an NEH Summer Seminar or Institute, NEH Summer Scholars will receive a certificate indicating their participation.
A seminar for school teachers enables 16 NEH Summer Scholars to explore a topic or set of readings with a scholar having special interest and expertise in the field. The core material of the seminar need not relate directly to the school curriculum; the principal goal of the seminar is to engage teachers in the scholarly enterprise and to expand and deepen their understanding of the humanities through reading, discussion, writing, and reflection.
An institute for school teachers, typically led by a team of core faculty and visiting scholars, is designed to present the best available scholarship on important humanities issues and works taught in the nation's schools. The 25 to 36 NEH Summer Scholars compare and synthesize the various perspectives offered by the faculty, make connections between the institute content and classroom applications, and often develop improved teaching materials for their classrooms.
The use of the words “seminar” or “institute” in this document is precise and is intended to convey differences between the two project types.
Please note: An individual may apply to up to two projects (NEH Summer Seminars, Institutes, or Landmarks Workshops), but may participate in only one.
SELECTION CRITERIA
A selection committee will read and evaluate all properly completed applications in order to select the most promising applicants and to identify a number of alternates. Seminar selection committees typically consist of the seminar director, a school teacher who is usually a participant in a previous NEH summer program, and a colleague of the director. Institute selection committees typically consist of three to five members, usually drawn from the institute faculty and staff members.
Special consideration is given to the likelihood that an applicant will benefit professionally and personally from the seminar/institute experience. It is important, therefore, to address each of the following factors in your application essay:
1. your effectiveness and commitment as a teacher/educator;
2. your intellectual interests, in general and as they relate to the work of the project;
3. your special perspectives, skills, or experiences that would contribute to the seminar or institute;
4. the likelihood that the experience will enhance your teaching.
While recent participants are eligible to apply, selection committees are charged to give first consideration to applicants who have not participated in an NEH-supported seminar, institute, or workshop in the last three years (2014, 2015, 2016). Additionally, preference is given to applicants who would significantly contribute to the diversity of the program.
STIPEND, TENURE, AND CONDITIONS OF AWARD
Teachers selected to participate in three-week projects will receive $2,700. Stipends are intended to help cover travel expenses to and from the project location, books and other research expenses, and ordinary living expenses. Stipends are taxable. Applicants to all projects should note that supplements will not be given in cases where the stipend is insufficient to cover all expenses.
Seminar and institute participants are required to attend all meetings and to engage fully as professionals in the work of the project. During the project's tenure, they may not undertake teaching assignments or any other professional activities unrelated to their participation in the project. Participants who, for any reason, do not complete the full tenure of the project will receive a reduced stipend.
At the end of the project's residential period, NEH Summer Scholars will be asked to submit online evaluations in which they review their work during the summer and assess its value to their personal and professional development. These evaluations will become part of the project's grant file.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Before you attempt to complete an application, please study the project website, which contains detailed information about the topic under study, project requirements and expectations of the participants, the academic and institutional setting, and specific provisions for lodging and subsistence.
APPLICATION CHECKLIST
A complete application consists of three copies of the following collated items:
- The completed application cover sheet
- A résumé or brief biography with contact information for two professional references
- An application essay as outlined below.
The Application Cover Sheet
The application cover sheet must be filled out online at this address:
https://securegrants.neh.gov/education/participants/
Please follow the prompts. Before you click the “submit” button, print out the cover sheet and add it to your application package. Then click “submit.” At this point you will be asked if you want to fill out a cover sheet for another project. If you do, follow the prompts to select the other project and repeat the process.
Do not use the same cover sheet for different projects. You must submit a separate cover sheet online for each project to which you are applying in order to generate a unique tracking number for each application.
Résumé and References
Please include a résumé or brief biography detailing your educational qualifications and professional experience. Be sure the résumé provides the name, title, phone number, and e-mail address of two professional references.
The Application Essay
The application essay should be no more than four double spaced pages. It should address your interest, both academic and personal, in the subject to be studied; qualifications and experiences that equip you to do the work of the seminar or institute and to make a contribution to a learning community; a statement of what you want to accomplish by participating; and the relation of the project to the applicant's professional responsibilities.
SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS AND NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE
Completed applications should be submitted to the project director, not the NEH, and should be postmarked no later than March 1, 2017. Application materials sent to the NEH will not be reviewed.
Send your application to:
Dr. Laura R. Nash
NEH Hip-Hop Project Director
Fairfield University
1073 North Benson Road
Fairfield, CT 06824
Successful applicants will be notified of their selection on Friday, March 31, 2017, and they will have until Friday, April 7 to accept or decline the offer.
Note: Once you have accepted an offer to attend any NEH Summer Program (NEH Summer Seminar, Institute or Landmarks Workshop), you may not accept an additional offer or withdraw in order to accept a different offer.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT:
Endowment programs do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or age. For further information, write to NEH Equal Opportunity Officer, 400 7th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024. TDD: 202/606 8282 (this is a special telephone device for the Deaf).
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