Virgin Islands Humanities Council’s
Heath Award
for
Excellence in the Teaching of the Humanities
Established
in 2003, the Heath Award recognizes the achievement of two public school teachers of grades
K–12, one from the St. Thomas/St. John district and the other from the
St. Croix district, who have exhibited outstanding ability and unfailing
dedication to teaching the humanities.
VIHC is seeking nominations from the public of
teachers who exemplify this description.
Nomination
Process
Please submit
a nomination letter with the following information:
· Your name, mailing address and
affiliation and relationship to nominee.
· Teacher’s name, school address,
grade level and academic discipline.
· Describe your reasons for nominating
this teacher; please be as specific as possible, highlighting the
teacher’s achievement.
· Send nomination letter to Virgin
Islands Humanities Council no later than **March 7th (extension until March 14, 2008)**.
· An application will be sent to the
teacher whom you nominated.
· The Virgin Islands Humanities
Council’s review committee will review all applications.
· The winning nominee will be announced publicly by May 22, and the award will be presented by June 15.
Each winning nominee will receive a
cash award of $1,000.00 and a commemorative plaque.
Humanities Education
in the Schools
Although the Council
does not generally fund projects that relate to classroom activities,
it does have a commitment to strengthening humanities education in the
schools. The following types of grants are designed to support humanities
teaching:
Summer Institutes
for Teachers
These institutes provide teachers with time and resources to reflect upon
subjects on the humanities. Seminars last between one and four weeks depending
on format, and are taught by scholars in the humanities.
Workshops for Humanities
Teachers
Workshops for humanities teachers are generally offered as components
of larger projects, such as public discussion and interpretive exhibit
projects, or as part of research and publication projects which generate
curriculum materials or introduce new source materials on VI history and
culture.
Grants for Development
of Curriculum Materials
The VIHC encourages the development of curriculum materials, particularly
in the areas of V.I. history and cultural heritage. Materials may be developed
as part of more complex humanities projects, such as a series of lectures
and interpretive exhibits, or may be created to meet special classroom
needs.
Teacher Incentive
Program Grants
The Teacher Incentive Grant Program is a special grantline instituted
by the Council to encourage teachers who want to improve courses, to develop
new classes or teaching units, and to pilot model projects. This grant
program carries an award of up to $750.
Special application forms and instructions for the teacher incentive
grant program are available online.
Teacher Incentive Grant Program FAQ
Teacher Incentive Grant Application
Teacher Incentive Grant Humanities Scholar Form
Teacher Incentive Grant Outside Evaluator Form
Teacher Incentive Grant Budget Summary Form
Development
of Source Materials - Publication Grants
One of the VIHC goals is to develop source materials that will provide
a richer pool of information relating to the history and cultural heritage
of the Virgin Islands. This grant category provides funding for research,
oral history collection and transcription, translations, compilation of
bibliographies, and publications. Public programming in connection with
source development projects is required.
Research
To use primary resource materials found in V.I. libraries, courthouses,
private collections or off-island depositories for projects that focus
on significant cultural themes in the Virgin Islands.
Oral History
To provide training in oral history techniques, tape-record and transcribe
oral history interviews in programs that have well-defined objectives
and focus on V.I. cultural themes.
Editing
To prepare for publication significant writings that pertain to the Virgin
Islands. Final manuscripts must include research notes and annotations
on people, places and events.
Translation
To provide an English version of foreign language materials relating to
the cultural heritage of the Virgin Islands.
Bibliographies
To prepare bibliographies relating to significant topics in Virgin Islands
history and cultural heritage. This work may include organizing and cataloguing
a significant collection of documents and resource materials.
* Supplemental instructions for grants for the development of source materials
are available at the Council office.
Funding Guidelines
To be considered for funding, applicants must fulfill the following basic
requirements:
Eligible Applicants
Grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations, institutions or groups
(whether or not formally incorporated or tax-exempt). Eligible applicants
include (but are not limited to) civic groups, school boards, PTAs, teacher
associations, service clubs, libraries, museums, historical societies,
church groups, professional organizations, labor unions, public television
and radio stations, divisions of the university and agencies of state
and local government.
Humanities Focus
The content of the program is about history, literature, folklife studies,
philosophy or another field of the humanities. The program does not only
provide information but also engages participants in a thoughtful exchange
about the values, ideas, or actions portrayed in the program.
Involvement of
Humanities Scholars
VIHC likes to see the best historians, the most effective English professors,
the most interesting archaeologists, or the most knowledgeable tradition
bearers involved in the programs it funds. When the word "Scholar"
is used in these guidelines, it refers to persons who have a high level
of expertise or achievement in their subject.
Audiences
VIHC prefers programs that involve adults in a study of the humanities
or engage them in public discussions on civic issues from a humanities
perspective. Special seminars or workshops should be offered to teachers
on the primary and secondary levels, while youth should be invited to
participate in a variety of cultural enrichment, literacy, and moral values
programs.VIHC strongly encourages applicants to make their programs and
materials accessible to the disabled.
Balance of Viewpoints
The programs are politically neutral. VIHC does not sponsor or support
programs that advocate direct political or social action, although individual
speakers may express opposing points of view.
Cost Sharing
The Council provides up to half of the total cost of approved projects.
In order to qualify for a grant, an applicant must generate support at
least equal in value to the amount requested from VIHC. For many sponsors,
this requirement is met through cash contributions by their organization
and from other sources, and through in-kind contributions of goods and
services.
Third Party Gifts
and Challenge Grants
Depending on the availability of federal funds, the Council challenges
applicants to solicit gifts from third-party private sources by offering
a match of up to 75% of the funds raised. Matching funds may be used as
a supplement to an outright grant from the Council.
Funding Restrictions
The Humanities Council cannot provide support for:
- Programs that are not based on the humanities
- Programs that exclude other points of view
- Research and writing unrelated to Council priorities
- Travel to professional meetings
- Work for academic credit or toward a formal degree
- Performances in the arts, unless they are designed to generate dialogue between humanities scholars and the public
- Permanent institutional staffing
- Purchase of permanent equipment, building construction and restoration
- Library or museum acquisitions, except for modest expenditures related to a program
- Lobbying or partisan political activity
- Food, alcoholic beverages, refreshments
- Expenses incurred prior to the grant award date