Dear Colleagues,

My six weeks studying Dante in Italy was the richest intellectual experience
I¹ve ever had...and there was gelato as well! To show my gratitude to the
National Endowment for the Humanities, I promised myself that every year I
would encourage other teachers to take advantage of this incredible
opportunity. 

The 2005 Summer Seminars and Institutes for School Teachers are now listed
on their website.

        http://www.neh.fed.us/projects/si-school.html

The application deadline is March 1, 2005 but... you might want to work on
this over Winter Break. The application process requires a two-page résumé,
a four-page essay explaining why you are a perfect match for the
seminar/institute you've chosen, and two letters of reference. You may
inquire about all 14 seminars and 15 institutes, but you can only apply to
one.

On my website, I have posted a movie about the seminar I attended (which has
been renewed for 2005) and a copy of my application essay.

        http://homepage.mac.com/mseffie/index.html

Please feel free to contact me if you have more specific questions.

Later,
Sandra Effinger
[log in to unmask]

I have listed general details below:

Seminars - A seminar for school teachers enables fifteen participants 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.

Institutes - 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 35 participating teachers 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.

Eligibility - Full-time teachers in American K-12 schools, whether public,
private, or church-affiliated, are eligible to apply to seminars and
institutes. Americans teaching abroad are also eligible if a majority of the
students they teach are American citizens. Librarians and school
administrators may also be eligible. Applicants should consult the
guidelines and application information received directly from seminar and
institute directors concerning any additional eligibility requirements
specific to the project. Selection committees give first consideration to
applicants who have not participated in an NEH-supported seminar or
institute in the last three years.

Amount of Award - All teachers selected to participate in a seminar or
institute will be awarded a stipend of $1,800, $2,400, $3,000, $3,600 or
$4,200 (depending on the length of the seminar or institute) to help cover
travel costs, books and other research and living expenses.