Following are application deadlines for awards, honors, and contests available to teachers. Asterisks (*) denote new entries.
*May 15 HISTORY
The History Channel presents the Award for Outstanding Contribution in History Education to a teacher, media specialist, district or state History Day coordinator, judge, or volunteer who has demonstrated exceptional service to and participation in the National History Day program. One winner receives $3,000, a history video library, and a television and VCR for classroom use. Criteria include success in involving students in the program, interest in professional development, and service to both the National History Day program and the field of history. Contact: History Channel Award, National History Day, 0119 Cecil Hall, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742; (301) 314-9739; www.nationalhistoryday.org.
May 23 FOREIGN LANGUAGES
The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages asks national, state, and regional members to nominate educators for its Florence Steiner Award for Leadership in Foreign Language Education. Nominees must be K-12 foreign language teachers or administrators with a minimum of five years’ teaching experience. They also must be members of the council with at least three years’ standing and spend at least half of each school year teaching a foreign language. The winner receives a $500 cash award and a plaque. Contact: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 6 Executive Plaza, Yonkers, NY 10701-6801; (914) 963-8830, ext. 224; www.actfl.org.
*May 30 AEROSPACE
The Christa McAuliffe Memorial Award, offered by the Aerospace Education Foundation, honors one public, private, or parochial K-12 teacher who furthers the concepts of aerospace technology through innovative classroom programs. The award includes a $1,000 stipend and a trip to Washington, D.C., where the winner is recognized at the Air Force Association National Convention. Each applicant must have a letter of endorsement by an AFA sponsor and a letter of support from an administrator. Contact: Aerospace Education Foundation, 1501 Lee Hwy., Arlington, VA 22209; (800) 291-8480; fax (703) 247-5853; e-mail AEFstaff@aef.org; www.aef.org/aid/christa.asp.
May 30 PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE
The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, annually recognizes organizations for performance excellence in five categories, including education. Public and private elementary and secondary schools are eligible to receive the awards. Up to three winners are chosen based on such criteria as student learning achievements and improvements in education design and delivery, leadership, and strategic planning. Contact: Baldrige National Quality Program, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Administration Building, Room A600, 100 Bureau Dr., Stop 1020, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1020; (301) 975-2036; fax (301) 948-3716; e-mail nqp@nist.gov; www.quality.nist.gov.
*June 1 FIRE SAFETY
The National Fire Protection Association and the family of Rhea Reiss, a longtime advocate for fire safety education, seek nominations for the seventh annual NFPA Teacher of the Year Award. Full- or part-time classroom teachers or day-care providers in public, private, or parochial school systems that have used NFPA’s “Risk Watch” or “Learn Not to Burn” educational materials are eligible. The winner and the individual who nominated him or her receive an expenses-paid trip to NFPA’s fall conference in Reno, Nevada. The winning teacher will also receive NFPA education materials. Application materials are available online. Contact: Amy LeBeau, NFPA, 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269; (617) 984-7285; e-mail alebeau@nfpa.orgwww.riskwatch.org/teacher.html .
*June 1 SOCIAL STUDIES
The National Council for the Social Studies sponsors the Exemplary Research in Social Studies Award to acknowledge and encourage scholarly inquiry into significant issues in and possibilities for social studies education. Eligible research must have been published between June 2001 and May 2002, focus on social education, advance the teaching and learning of social studies, and satisfy a number of other criteria. The award includes a commemorative gift, annual conference presentation session, and publicity. Contact: NCSS, 8555 16th St., Suite 500, Silver Spring, MD 20910; (301) 588-1800, ext. 106; e- mail information@ncss.org; www.ncss.org/awards.
*June 30 OUTSTANDING TEACHERS
USA Today seeks nominations for the All-USA Teacher Team. The 20 teachers chosen for the First Team are featured in the newspaper and receive trophies and a $500 prize; their schools each get $2,000. Second and Third Team teachers also are named. All nominees must be certified K-12 teachers in the 2002-03 school year, have four years of full-time teaching experience, and meet other criteria. Self-nominations are not accepted. Contact: Carol Skalski, USA Today, 7950 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, VA 22108-9995; (703) 854- 5890; e-mail allstars@usatoday.comwww.allstars.usatoday.com
*July 1 JOURNALISM
The Dow Jones Newspaper Fund seeks applicants for its National High School Journalism Teacher Awards. The program selects the National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year, who acts as a spokesperson for scholastic journalism, four Distinguished Advisers, and several Special Recognition Advisers. Candidates must have at least three years’ experience teaching or advising high school journalists; they also must have taught or advised during the 2002-03 academic year and plan to continue teaching or advising in 2003-04. The Teacher of the Year receives a laptop computer, and a senior student at the winner’s school is eligible for a $1,000 college scholarship. Contact: Dow Jones Newspaper Fund, P.O. Box 300, Princeton, NJ 08543-0300; (609) 452-2820; fax (609) 520-5804;e-mail newsfund@wsj.dowjones.com; http://djnewspaperfund.dowjones.com .
*July 1 TEACHER EDUCATION
The Association of Teacher Educators seeks applicants for two prizes. The annual Distinguished Dissertation in Teacher Education Award honors the author of an outstanding doctoral dissertation related to teacher education. The winner receives a monetary award, which is supported by a grant from the ATE Leadership Foundation for Teacher Education; a plaque; and national recognition. Candidates must have completed their dissertations within the past two years at an accredited college or university. The Distinguished Research in Teacher Education Awards recognize and encourage outstanding studies of teacher education and/or student learning. Individuals involved in teacher education may submit papers published or accepted for publication within the past two years or papers of comparable quality. Judging criteria include investigative rationale and adequacy of research. Two winners each receive a plaque and recognition at the ATE’s national conference. Contact: David Byrd, School of Education, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881; (401) 874-8454; dbyrd@uri.edu; www.ate1.org.
*July 31 ECONOMICS
The NASDAQ Educational Foundation and the National Council on Economic Education announce the National Teaching Awards for high school teachers who incorporate economic education into any subject area. Regional and national awards are presented to the most creative, original, and effective efforts to apply economic content and reasoning skills to financial markets, personal finance, entrepreneurship, the market economy, or the capital formation or investment process. Any grades 9-12 teacher in the United States may apply. Five regional winners each receive $10,000 and the opportunity to compete for an additional $15,000 and the title of Grand National Winner; 20 regional semifinalists are awarded $1,000 each. Entry forms are available online. Contact: Claire Melican, Vice President for Program Administration, National Council on Economic Education, 1140 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036; (800) 338-1192; e-mail cmelican@ncee.net; www.ncee.net/nasdaq.
