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Hudson Valley Curriculum Development Grants Available
Teaching the Hudson Valley invites educators at public and private schools, as well as sites of cultural, historic, or natural significance, to apply for placebased curriculum development grants. THV will make several awards of up to $10,000 each to help educators share the Valley's special places with K- 12 students. Applications are due March 17, 2008. Forms and instructions are available at www.TeachingtheHudsonValley.org.
When asked what makes a strong application, leaders of THV's sponsoring organizations offered several suggestions. "Projects should creatively complement curriculum and yield lessons other teachers want to use," said Mary Mangione, Executive Director of the federally funded Hudson River National Heritage Area and Greenway Conservancy. "Proposals ought to help sites enhance their education or outreach programs," added Sarah Olson, Superintendent of the National Park Service's Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites. "Field trips supported by these grants must be robust, furthering and enriching learning that takes place in the classroom," declared Steve Stanne, interpretive specialist with the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation's Hudson River Estuary Program.
Schools and sites in Putnam, Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Rensselaer, Rockland, Ulster, and Westchester counties. Places must be regularly open to the public and have missions that embrace interpreting or preserving an aspect of the Valley's culture, ecosystem, or history. Sites include - but are not limited to - archives, libraries, museums, parks, and other heritage or historic sites.
THV hopes to encourage collaboration between schools and heritage sites so schools and sites must develop proposals and carry out projects together. Proposals maybe interdisciplinary or focus on a single area, such as art, geography, or science, and should: (1) create or deepen partnerships and model effective teamwork between schools and significant places; (2) encourage placebased learning with strong connections to curriculum and standards; and (3) generate placebased lesson plans.
In addition to project funding, grantees attend THV's summer institute free of charge. This year's program, Teaching Hudson Valley Diversity: Culture, History, and Nature, is July 29-31, 2008, at the Henry A. Wallace Education Center on the grounds of the FDR National Historic Site and the FDR Library and Museum. The institute is also open to the public.
Teaching the Hudson Valley is a project of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area & Greenway Conservancy, National Park Service/Home of FDR, Hudson River Estuary Program, NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation, and Hudson River Valley Institute at Marist college
For more information, call 845-229-9116, ext. 35 or visit their website at www.TeachingtheHudsonValley.org
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