Applications for the 2021 program are now closed.
The application form is at the bottom of this page. Please read the information on this page before filling out an application.
Hoover Dam and the Shaping of the American West, is a two-week NEH-funded Summer Institute for middle and high school teachers.
Eligibility
Our program seeks to select a diverse group of educators. Diversity to us means educators from all parts of the United States, with various backgrounds, who teach a variety of subjects, and who work in a range of socio-economic school districts. This program is not just for history teachers. Past participants have been educators from art, science, social studies, history, English, and more. We have had teachers, librarians, and administrators. They have been from rural, suburban, and urban schools. They have taught in religious and public schools, wealthy districts and poor districts. They have come from Massachusetts, California, Florida, Washington, and everywhere in-between.
This institute is designed principally for full-time or part-time teachers and librarians in public, charter, independent, and religiously affiliated schools, as well as homeschooling parents. Other K-12 school-system personnel such as administrators, substitute teachers, and curriculum developers, are also eligible to participate.
Applicants must be United States citizens, residents of U.S. jurisdictions, or foreign nationals who have been residing in the United States or its territories for at least three years immediately preceding the application deadline. Foreign nationals teaching abroad at non-U.S. chartered institutions are not eligible to apply.
Please note: Five institute spaces are reserved for teachers who are new to the profession (those who have been teaching for five years or less). We will be accepting 25 participants in total.
Individuals may not apply to an NEH Summer Seminar or Institute whose director is a family member, is affiliated with the same institution, or is someone with whom they have previously studied. To be considered eligible, each applicant must submit a complete application.
Download the eligibility criteria form: NEH eligibility.
Please note that individual applicants are allowed to apply to no more than two projects (seminars, institutes, and/or Landmarks workshops); however, you may participate in only one per summer.
Once you have accepted an offer to attend any NEH Summer Program (NEH Landmarks Workshop, NEH Summer Seminar, or NEH Summer Institute), you may not withdraw to accept an offer from another program.
Selection Criteria
A selection committee comprised of the project director and two or more colleagues will evaluate all completed applications to select a group of NEH Summer Scholars and identify alternates.
When choices must be made between equally qualified candidates, the first consideration is given to those who have not previously attended an NEH Seminar or Institute. Given two equally qualified candidates who have not previously attended an NEH Seminar or Institute, preference is given to those who will enhance the diversity of the program.
Notification Procedure
Successful applicants will be notified of their selection on Friday, March 26th, 2021.
Successful applicants will have until Friday, April 2nd to accept or decline the offer.
Applicants who will not have access to email during the notification period should provide a phone number where they can be reached. No information concerning the status of an application will be available before the official notification period.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Endowment programs do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or age. For further information, write to the Equal Opportunity Officer, National Endowment for the Humanities, 400 7th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024. TDD: 202/606‑8282 (this is a special telephone device for the Deaf).
Acceptance
If you have been accepted to the institute, you will be asked to complete the following documents:
Terms and Conditions for Participants
Certification for Participants
Application
A complete application consists of the following items:
1) The Application Form
Fill out the application form (below) by midnight EST, March 1, 2021. Late applications will not be considered.
You will need to include a name and email address for two professional references as part of the application.
2) The Application Essay
Your essay should be no more than 4500 characters or roughly 800 words (note that the application essay is limited by character count, not word count). We recommend that you write your response in a text editor and cut/paste it into the form. Application essays should explain how this specific program will benefit you, the participant, professionally. You should, therefore, address the following:
- A few short stenches about your qualifications, unique perspective, skills, background, and experiences that equip you to do the work of the institute and will make you a valuable contributor to the program.
- A few short sentences about your intellectual interests and background as they relate to the topic of the institute.
- The remainder of your essay should discuss how participation will enhance your teaching. Please be specific in describing ways that you envision the program augmenting your existing curriculum or curriculum that you are developing. This section of the essay will carry the heaviest weight in determining your selection.
Overall, we are looking for how your interests, teaching, and experiences are related to the institute and its connection to your professional responsibilities.
3) A Resume or CV
You will need to include a resume or curriculum vitae (scroll to the bottom of this page to see where to submit). Please make sure your last name is in the filename. For example “Arrigo_resume.pdf”
If you cannot upload your resume or CV at the link below, or if you do not have a Google account, you can email it as a .pdf attachment to Dr. Anthony Arrigo at aarrigo@umassd.edu.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed on this website or at this institute do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Hoover Dam and the Shaping of the American West 