Landmarks of American History and Culture School Teachers | Apply Online

Landmarks of American History and Culture: School Teachers (NEH) - FAQs

What is the Landmarks of American History and Culture: School Teachers grant?

It is a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant opportunity offered through the We the People initiative to fund intensive, residence-based professional development for K-12 educators. The central approach is to use nationally significant historic places as the primary learning environment for humanities-focused study.

What is the main purpose of the program?

The program is designed to give teachers a deep, academically serious learning experience grounded in a specific historic site (or a tightly connected group of sites). It uses the site's physical setting, archival holdings, and material culture to explore major themes in American history and culture, including government, literature, and art history.

Is this a general teacher training program?

No. It is not intended to be a broad, general professional development program. It is built around a particular historic place and the humanities questions and resources that place makes possible.

Who is the intended audience for the workshops?

The workshops are designed for a national audience of K-12 educators, bringing teachers from across the country to participate in on-location study.

What does "residence-based" mean in this context?

It means the professional development is conducted as an intensive on-site experience where participants stay near the workshop location for the duration of the session. The host institution must arrange adequate housing options for participants.

How are funded projects structured?

Funded projects are structured as one-week workshops, run as two separate sessions during the summer. Each week-long session can serve up to forty teachers.

How many teachers can participate?

Each week-long summer session may serve up to forty teachers. Since projects run two one-week sessions, the overall project structure supports two separate cohorts.

What kinds of learning activities are expected?

NEH expects academically serious experiences that go beyond lectures. Participants should engage directly with primary sources such as original documents, archival materials, and relevant texts or artworks tied to the workshop theme, along with structured discussion and hands-on analysis.

What are examples of primary sources participants might use?

Examples mentioned include original documents, archival materials, relevant texts, and artworks connected to the workshop theme, as well as site-based resources such as collections, exhibits, local archives, or curated materials.

Why does the site matter so much for this program?

The chosen site is the core "classroom" for the workshop. A strong proposal should explain why the site is historically significant and how the place itself strengthens the intellectual goals of the workshop in ways that cannot be replicated in a typical classroom setting.

What should a strong proposal explain about the site and resources?

Based on the opportunity description, a strong proposal should explain (1) why the chosen site matters historically, (2) what resources participants will have access to (collections, exhibits, archives, curated materials, etc.), and (3) how the physical place and its resources directly support the workshop's humanities goals.

Who is expected to lead the workshops?

Workshops are expected to be led by recognized experts. Proposals should include leading scholars as lecturers and seminar leaders.

Are lectures the main format?

No. While proposals should include scholars serving as lecturers and seminar leaders, the workshop is expected to move beyond lectures into hands-on work such as close analysis of primary documents and structured discussion.

How does the program address classroom impact?

The program emphasizes that teachers should be able to translate what they learn into usable instructional materials. It may also support teachers in developing a focused classroom resource set or a small research project connected to the workshop content.

Who can apply to host these workshops?

A wide range of organizations may apply, as long as they can credibly support a rigorous residential program. Eligible host types include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private colleges and universities, city or township governments, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations (including cultural organizations and professional associations).

What kinds of organizations does NEH specifically note as appropriate hosts?

NEH specifically notes that appropriate hosts may include community colleges, four-year institutions, learned societies, libraries and other repositories, centers for advanced study, cultural organizations, and professional associations.

What facilities and support are host institutions expected to provide?

Host institutions are expected to provide facilities that support scholarly research and sustained discussion, and they must arrange adequate housing for participants.

Do participants pay for lodging?

Participants cover their lodging costs using stipends provided to them through the Landmarks Workshop grant. Because of that, the host must ensure practical, workable housing options are available for participants.

Is cost-sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity description states there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

What is the CFDA number and program area for this grant?

This was a discretionary grant under CFDA 45.163, titled Promotion of the Humanities - Professional Development.

What was the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number listed was 20090317-BH.

What was the award ceiling?

The award ceiling was $160,000. No award floor was stated.

When was the opportunity posted and what was the deadline?

The posted date was January 6, 2009, and the application deadline was March 17, 2009.

Where could applicants find additional program guidance?

Additional program guidance was provided by NEH at http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/landmarks.html.

Who was the contact point for questions?

The contact point listed was the NEH Division of Education Programs (Room 302, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20506; 202-606-8463; sem-inst@neh.gov).