A Message from Ron Nash, Senior Education Fellow at Gilder Lehrman
Good day Texas teachers and librarians,
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The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History has received a challenge grant from the NEH to substantially increase the affiliate program. It is essentially a special relationship to Gilder Lehrman. The Gilder Lehrman resources are FREE and will be available in perpetuity. While this cannot replace the extensive professional development resources of the TAH program, the affiliate program will continue to grow and add substantial resources on a weekly basis. The entire collection of Gilder Lehrman documents is also scheduled to be digitalized and made available to affiliates. Please email me at my Gilder Lehrman address ron.nash@gilderlehrman.org for additional information on how to apply. It takes about 15 minutes to become an affiliate school. Currently there are 3,000 schools in the program.
Gilder Lehrman has contracted with over fifty historians to write original essays for the affiliate school site. The essays cover ten major and forty sub eras in US history. Many of the essays also explore interdisciplinary aspects of American culture. An extensive and current bibliography, new podcasts, primary sources, teaching strategies, and lesson plans complete the package of resources. This section of the GLI web page will continue to expand. We have also been contracted to create many lessons which focus on essential texts in American history. This ongoing initiative is appropriate for schools, teachers, librarians and students at the K-12 level. The GLI web page also has a Community Forum which allows for rich discussion of history and classroom topics.
In addition GLI will continue to expand its summer seminar program with preferential consideration provided to affiliate members. This year about 50 per cent of the 1200 positions are allocated to current affiliate school applicants. Eventually, only affiliate school members will attend the summer seminars. GLI will also continue to sponsor the History Teacher of the Year award (HTOY). This year’s winner received his recognition at the Frederick Douglass Academy in New York City. Caroline Kennedy presented the award. This year’s competition will recognize a history teacher at the K-6 level.
Similarly, GLI will continue to provide school districts the opportunity to connect to history through traveling exhibits (a new major initiative is well underway related to the immigration) and several new projects inthe history box series. As you reach out to schools, you might remind teachers that the affiliate relationship is like a toolbox. You never know when you need that one item but at least it is there when the time arises. Just ensure that the building principal is on board (I’m not sure that anyone will pass on no cost professional development).
Just a reminder to you, a classroom teacher or a librarian has to make the application. You should go to our web page athttp://www.gilderlehrman.org and go to the affiliate’s drop down on the site. This allows you to create an account and submit an application. The last page asks for some demographic information and that should be available from the school’s guidance office. The final question is just a short explanation of why you want to be an affiliate.
Let me know how things progress, Ron
Ron Nash
Senior Education Fellow
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
19 West 44th Street, Suite 500
New York, NY 10036
ron.nash@gilderlehrman.org
www.gilderlehrman.org
(P) 646-366-9666 ext. 40
(C) 201-704-6096
