Application Information
Applications will be due March 1, 2022!
OVERVIEW
NEH-funded seminars are professional development programs that convene K-12 educators or higher education faculty from across the nation in order to deepen and enrich their understanding of a variety of topics in the humanities and enrich their capacity for effective scholarship and teaching. Each seminar provides a focused environment in which 16 participants study a humanities topic under the guidance of one or two established scholars. Seminars have few, if any, visiting faculty. Seminars emphasize close interaction among the participants and director(s) through discussion of common readings and conversations about scholarship and teaching. Substantial time is made available for reflection, work on independent or collaborative projects, and related advising.
NEH Summer Seminars and Institutes allow K-12 teachers an opportunity to enrich and revitalize their teaching through the study of humanities topics that bear upon K-12 education. Participants will receive a certificate upon completion of the program, but the programs are not intended to duplicate graduate-level courses.
Each seminar provides an intimate and focused environment in which sixteen participants (NEH Summer Scholars) study a specific humanities topic under the guidance of one or two established scholars. Seminars have few, if any, visiting faculty. They emphasize sustained interaction among the participants and director(s) through discussion of common readings, conversations about teaching, and advising on independent projects.
Each institute allows twenty-five to thirty-six participants (NEH Summer Scholars) to pursue an intensive program of study under a team of scholarly experts, who present a range of perspectives on a humanities topic. Participants and scholars mutually explore connections between scholarship and teaching of the topic.
Project applicants who accept an offer to participant are expected to remain during the entire period of the program and to participate in its work on a full-time basis. If a participant is obliged through special circumstances to depart before the end of the program, it shall be the recipient institution’s responsibility to see that only a pro rata share of the stipend is received or that the appropriate pro rata share of the stipend is returned if the participant has already received the full stipend. Participants are required to submit a project evaluation at the end of the seminar.
In any given year, an individual may apply to two Seminars or Institutes, but may attend only one.
SELECTION CRITERIA
For this summer seminar, we envision participants who teach or are preparing to teach the Holocaust in Language Arts, Social Studies, or History classes at the junior-high or high school levels. Those who have a direct impact on teaching and the curriculum are eligible to apply. We aim for a diversity of applicants, ranging from individuals who have in-depth experience with the topic, to those who may have had very little experience. Applicants will be drawn from across the nation.
Three seminar spaces must be reserved for teachers who are new to the profession (those who have been teaching for five years or less). First consideration is given to those who have not previously attended an NEH Seminar or Institute. When choices must be made between equally qualified candidates, preference is given to those who would enhance the diversity of the program.
STIPEND, TENURE, AND CONDITIONS OF AWARD
Each participant will receive a stipend of $2,200 for the two weeks. The stipend is intended to help cover travel, housing, meals, and basic academic expenses. Stipends are taxable.
Seminar participants must attend all meetings and engage fully as professionals in the work of the project. During the project, participants may not undertake teaching assignments or professional activities unrelated to their participation in the project. Those 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 are expected to submit online evaluations of the seminar or institute.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Prior to applying to a specific seminar or institute, please study the project website and carefully consider the project’s requirements. The application consists of a personal information sheet, essay, resume, and references. Please click HERE to access the online application. To help prepare you for your online application, you can preview the application questions, below.
1. Personal Info Sheet
Name; Job title; School; Number of years at current job
Email, Address, Phone
Is this your first NEH Summer Seminar? If yes, in how many NEH Summer Seminars & Institutes have you participated?
2. A Résumé and References
Please include a résumé or curriculum vitae (not to exceed five pages). Include the name, title, phone number, and e-mail address of two professional references.
3. The Application Essay
The application essay should be no more than four double-spaced pages. It should address:
- your effectiveness and commitment as a teacher/educator;
- your intellectual interests as they relate to the topic of the seminar or institute;
- your special perspectives, skills, or experiences that would contribute to the seminar;
- a statement of what you want to accomplish by participating;
- evidence that participation will have a long-term impact on your teaching;
- and, if appropriate, a description of an independent project and its relation to your professional responsibilities.
SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS AND NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE
Applications must be submitted via the online Google application link no later than March 1, 2022. Applications sent to the NEH will not be reviewed.
Successful applicants will be notified of their selection on March 25, 2022. They will have until April 8, 2022 to accept or decline the offer.
Note: Once you have accepted an offer to attend any NEH Summer Program (NEH Summer Seminar or Institute), 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 the Equal Opportunity Officer, National Endowment for the Humanities, 400 7th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024. TDD: 202/606-8282 (this is a special telephone device for the Deaf).