Thanks a lot, Peter, for the useful info!
Eugene
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Peter Smagorinsky [mailto:psmagorinsky@home.com]
> Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2001 9:44 AM
> To: Recipient list suppressed
> Subject: Fwd: NEH-sponsored grants competition
>
>
> > 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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