Jump at the Sun: Zora Neale Hurston and Her Eatonville Roots

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 Dear Colleague letter/prospectus from the project director 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 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 individual teaching and/or research materials.

Eligibility

These projects are designed principally for classroom teachers and librarians in public, private, parochial, and charter schools, as well as home schooling parents.  Other K-12 school personnel, including administrators, substitute teachers, and classroom paraprofessionals, 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 at non-U.S. chartered institutions 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 applicants who have never participated in an NEH Landmarks Workshop.  Applicants must complete the NEH application cover sheet and provide all of the information requested below to be considered eligible. 

New this year: An individual may apply to up to three NEH summer projects in any one year (Landmarks workshops, seminars, or institutes), but may participate in only one.  Please note that eligibility criteria differ significantly between the Landmarks Workshops and the Seminars and Institutes Programs.

Selection Criteria

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 the application essay:

• your professional background;
• your interest in the subject of the Workshop;
• your special perspectives, skills, or experiences that would contribute to the Workshop; and
• an explanation of how the experience would enhance your teaching or school service.

Preference is given to applicants who have not previously participated in an NEH Landmarks workshop, seminar or institute.

Stipend, Tenure, and Conditions of Award

Teachers selected to participate will receive a stipend of $1,200 at the end of the residential workshop session.  Stipends are intended to help cover travel expenses to and from the project location, books, and ordinary living expenses.  Stipends 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 online evaluation at the close of the Workshop.

Application Instructions

This on-line application packet contains a letter/prospectus from the project director describing the content of the Workshop, the institutional setting, what is expected of participants, and specific provisions for lodging and subsistence.  The information letter may be downloaded from the website.  All application materials must be sent to the project director at the address listed below and on the program poster.  Sending application materials and reference letters to the Endowment will not be reviewed or processed.  Please indicate on the application cover sheet your first and second choices of Workshop dates.   

Checklist of Application Materials

A completed application consists of the following collated items:

 1. Three copies of the completed application cover sheet, detailed below
 2. Three copies of your résumé
 3. Three copies of an application essay, no longer than one double-spaced page as outlined below.
 4. One letter of recommendation, as described below

The Application Cover Sheet

The on-line 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 project as well

PLEASE NOTE: On the first page of the NEH application cover sheet you must specify that you are applying to a "Summer Programs for School Teachers" (NOT a "Summer Seminar or Institute").      

Also Note:  Filling out a cover sheet is not the same as applying, so there is no penalty for changing your mind and filling out a cover sheet for several projects.  A full application consists of the items listed above, as sent to the project director.      

Résumé

Please include a résumé detailing your educational qualifications and professional experience.

The Application Essay

The application essay should be no more than one double?spaced page.  The essay should adress the following:

• your professional background
• your 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

Reference Letter

Applicants should provide a letter of recommendation on original school letterhead 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. 

Recommendation: Keep a hard copy of everything you send for your own records.

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 2, 2010.  Note: this date is two weeks earlier than in past years.

Successful applicants will be notified of their selection by April 1, 2010, and they will have until April 10, 2010 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.  

Questions should be directed to:

Ann Schoenacher
Project Director
Florida Humanities Council
599 Second St. S
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
727-873-2010
Zora@flahum.org

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

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).