> The National Endowment for the Humanities invites proposals for
>after-school programs in the
> humanities for young people between the ages of 5 and 18. Proposals
>must be submitted to the
> Division of Public Programs by its November 1, 2001, deadline, for
>projects to begin no earlier than
> May 2002. The Endowment expects to make two grants of $50,000 each.
>
> The Challenge
>
> The challenge is to bring exciting humanities subjects and activities
>into pre-existing after-school
> programs. Ninety-two percent of adults believe that after-school
>programs benefit their children and
> their communities, according to a 1999 Charles Mott Foundation/
>JCPenney survey. The benefits can
> include strengthening skills, fostering individual talents, equipping
>young people to communicate in a
> technological age, and reinforcing principles of community and
>citizenship.
>
> The Invitation
>
> The Endowment seeks proposals for the development, multisite testing,
>and evaluation of content-
> rich materials and activities for use in a variety of after-school
>settings. The materials and activities
> must be focused on such subjects as history (American, world, local,
>family), literature, folklore,
> anthropology, archaeology, the understanding of art, music, theater,
>or
>film, or the study of language
> and culture. Projects should be organized in stand-alone thematic
>units, which should include
> instructions for hands-on learning activities-field trips, reading and
>
>writing opportunities, computer
> use, re-creating foodways, or mounting dramatic performances. The
>proposals should include brief
> instructions for the use of these materials and activities.
>
> Requirements
>
> Projects should last between ten and twenty total hours (which can be
>spread out over several weeks
> or compressed into a shorter period); reach young people ages 5-18
>with
>age-appropriate programs;
> be tested in at least five diverse sites; and result in a product that
>
>is, at minimum, a packet with
> instructions that describe or include materials needed such as videos,
>
>websites, etc. Projects should
> be able to be used in a number of settings without specialized
>training
>for after-school practitioners.
>
> Awards
>
> The Endowment expects to make two awards of $50,000 each.
>
> Criteria for Selection
>
> Proposals will be judged on the following criteria:
>
> 1) Richness of subject. Does the application involve a significant
>humanities topic of interest to the
> targeted audience? Do the materials involve a variety of texts (books,
>
>films, websites, music, art, oral
> histories, etc.)?
>
> 2) Design of project. Will the plan of work during the grant period
>lead to a program that is
> intellectually sound, easy to follow, creative, and enjoyable? Are the
>
>goals clearly articulated? Are the
> appropriate participants committed to the project-after-school
>practitioners, parents, museum
> educators, librarians, educational materials developers, teachers, and
>
>scholars, among others? If
> permissions are involved in the use of materials, are the methods of
>gaining these permissions clear? Is
> the evaluation plan sound?
>
> 3) Potential impact of program. What do you expect the participants to
>
>gain from the program? Can
> the program be used as an affordable model for others in a variety of
>after-school settings, such as
> community centers, libraries, church basements, or Title I schools?
>
> Review of Applications
>
> Applications will be reviewed by panels composed of after-school
>program practitioners,
> schoolteachers, humanities scholars, and museum and library educators.
>
>These assessments will be
> reviewed by the National Council on the Humanities, an advisory board
>of twenty-six presidentially
> appointed citizens. The Chairman of the NEH will make the final
>decisions on awards.
>
> Eligibility
>
> Nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations established in the United States,
>and units of state and local
> government are eligible to apply. Applicants must have obtained
>tax-exempt status from the Internal
> Revenue Service by the time funding decisions are made.
>
> Technical Assistance
>
> Applicants are encouraged to consult a program officer at the
>Endowment
>who can discuss ideas,
> offer advice, and read preliminary proposals (if submitted at least
>two
>weeks before the deadline).
> Program officers can be reached at 202/606-8269 or publicpgms@neh.gov
>(Division of Public
> Programs) and at 202/606-8500 or education@neh.gov (Division of
>Education Programs).
>
> Deadline
>
> Applications must be received at the Endowment by November 1, 2001.
>
> Examples
>
> A national youth services organization, in partnership with national
>associations of historians and arts
> educators, develops two weeklong units on African American culture for
>
>young people ages 5 to 9.
> The units connect the creative arts and United States history.
>Resources include the Wade in the
> Water radio series, and educational materials from the documentary
>series I'll Make Me a World,
> River of Song, and Jazz. Activities culminate in an oral history
>project on cultural performers in the
> community. The units are designed to be implemented in five
>after-school sites around the country.
> The evaluation includes a questionnaire to be answered by the
>providers
>of the after-school
> programs, by the participants, and by their parents.
>
> A state educational agency hires a content provider to develop
>after-school units for grades K-4. The
> state has chosen the subject of local history. Applicants use the My
>History Is America's History
> website (www.myhistory.org) and book as a resource. Activities include
>
>field trips to neighborhood
> landmarks; interviews with parents about coming to the community,
>which
>would be placed on the
> school website or in a book form; use of the internet to find
>information on the history and geography
> of the area; map making of the immediate neighborhood; writing stories
>
>on local or state heroes or
> heroines; making murals of the neighborhood depicting times past; and
>enacting scenes from the
> history of the state. The units will be tested in venues in different
>parts of the state-rural, suburban,
> and urban. An evaluation will look at the efficacy of the unit in
>different settings and the possibility for
> wider dissemination.
>
> A museum develops an after-school unit for high school students to
>learn about the culture of one
> region of the world. The program culminates in an exhibition on one
>cultural area, which is
> researched, curated, designed, and installed by the teenagers.
>Participants explore the Chinese
> collections of the museum with the staff. Cultural experiences include
>
>a visit to a Chinese temple,
> calligraphy classes, and visits to a neighborhood Chinese grocery
>store
>followed by a Chinese
> cooking demonstration by a local community member. Opportunities
>include collecting materials for
> the exhibition, registering objects in a computer database, and
>developing a website for the show. The
> teenagers, museum staff, school counselors, and parents evaluate the
>program. Evaluation would be
> sought from five museums across the country regarding replicability at
>
>each site, corresponding to the
> strengths of their respective collections.
>
> A regional theater group and a nearby community college create a
>portfolio of after-school activities
> for teenagers focusing on performing scenes from Shakespeare. They
>choose Romeo and Juliet as a
> play often taught in high schools. Activities include acting out
>different interpretations of scenes,
> rewriting scenes for a modern setting, designing sets and costumes,
>and
>creating a sound-design
> package. Resources include videos of the play and a list of
>student-friendly websites such as Teaching
> Shakespeare from the Folger Shakespeare Library. Local actors,
>directors, costumers, set and sound
> designers, and area scholars help lead some of the activities,
>including a field trip to a local theater.
> The portfolio is tested at five diverse sites and can be adapted for
>other plays. Local literature and
> drama teachers, participants, providers, and parents will evaluate the
>
>activities.
>
> How to Apply
>
> In order to submit an application, you will need to complete an NEH
>application cover sheet and a
> budget form. To download these forms and instructions as Adobe PDF
>documents, click on the links
> below. The forms are also available by calling 202-606-8500.
>
> NEH application cover sheet and instructions (5 pages)
> budget form and instructions (6 pages)
>
> Steps for completing an application:
>
> 1) Fill out the NEH Application Cover Sheet.
>
> 2) Write a narrative statement of no more than five double-spaced
>pages, 11-point type, which
> describes:
> a) the subject of the program
> b) the formats of the materials and activities
> c) the activities to be undertaken during the grant period
> d) the sites for testing of programs
> e) a one-paragraph description of the applicant organization,
>including
>mission, size, operating budget,
> and its ability to carry out the plan
> f) a list of key participants including scholars in the chosen,
>subjects
> g) a description of the evaluation plan
> h) the approximate cost of replication of materials.
>
> 3) Complete the general budget form.
>
> 4) Attach appendices, which should include résumés and letters of
>commitment from key personnel
> and a detailed plan of work, indicating the roles of the key
>participants.
>
> 5) Mail an original and nine complete copies to:
> Division of Public Programs
> National Endowment for the Humanities
> 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 426
> Washington, DC 20506
>
> Note: All copies should be collated and numbered consecutively
>throughout.
>
>Receipt Deadline: November 1, 2001
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