Fortnightly News
 

Dear AHA Member,

Fortnightly News is the AHA's e-mail newsletter, sent out around the first and fifteenth of every month to keep members up to date with the AHA and the history profession.

In this issue:

  1. Miniconference Planned for 2011 - Religion, Peace, and Violence
  2. January Perspectives on History
  3. Protecting Cultural Heritage in Haiti
  4. Seeking Reviewers - Teaching American History Grants
  5. Nominations for Preserve America History Teacher of the Year Award
  6. AHA Today – Recent history news
  7. News from Washington – Updates from NCH, NHA, and COSSA

 

Please feel free to forward this e-mail to your friends and colleagues.

 

Miniconference Planned for 2011 on Religion, Peace, and Violence

Inspired by the success and impact of the miniconference on same-sex marriage held at the 124th annual meeting in San Diego, and responding to the crucial roles played by religion in the scale and nature of violence in the world today, the AHA Council decided to present a similar threaded miniconference during the 125th annual meeting, to be held January 6–9, 2011, in Boston, focusing on the theme, “Historical Perspectives on Religion, Peace, and Violence.”

Matching and building on the theme of the 125th annual meeting, “History, Society, and the Sacred,” the planned miniconference will encourage explorations of religion as a force both in encouraging violence and inspiring peace. We are eager to make the most of a key asset of the AHA, by bringing together scholars in varying time periods and geographical locales.

For more information see a longer description of the miniconference online.

The process of identifying themes and topics is now under way, so  suggestions from AHA members will receive serious and respectful consideration. Please e-mail your ideas and proposals by April 1, 2010, to Noralee Frankel, AHA’s assistant director for women, minorities, and teaching, who serves as the staff member of the working group. Her e-mail address is nfrankel@historians.org.

 

 

January Perspectives on History

The January 2010 issue of Perspectives on History begins with new AHA president Barbara D. Metcalf’s inaugural “From the President” article: “Doing History for Life.” In it she considers how one continues doing history after retirement.

History Job Market
The state of the history job market was a popular, though not always positive, topic at the recent 124th Annual Meeting. Read two articles from Robert B. Townsend on the job market and history PhDs.

 

AHA News
In AHA News, even as the new council members are announced, we’re gearing up for the next election. And speaking of looking ahead, make sure to submit your proposal for the 125th annual meeting (deadline February 15, 2010). In this issue we also recognize the generosity of the 2009 contributing members, and consider a new online project: a “History Syllabus Wiki.”

From the NCH and the NHC
We hear from both the National Coalition for History (NCH) and the National History Center (NHC) this month. From the NCH: the “Obama Administration Issues Sweeping Open Government Directive” and other news briefs. And from the NHC, news that they’ve received $1.457 million from the Mellon Foundation and are working on a new seminar series.

More Articles
All of this, plus articles on economic history, Teaching American History grants, and ethics for historians are featured in this month’s Perspectives on History.

 

 

Protecting Cultural Heritage in Haiti

The International Committee of the Blue Shield (ICBS) is an organization that works “to protect the world’s cultural heritage threatened by armed conflict, natural and man-made disasters.”

In response to the earthquake in Haiti, the ICBS is calling for volunteers from libraries, archives, museums, to be placed on a list to go to Haiti as soon as the structural conditions have been assessed and it is safe to work in the buildings or at the sites. They have also begun a Facebook page to share “news about cultural heritage, institutions affected in Haiti.”

 

 

 

 

Seeking Reviewers - Teaching American History Grants

The 2010 U.S. Department of Education’s Teaching American History (TAH) grant competition needs your help to review TAH grant applications. 

The anticipated grant review dates are mid-March to early April 2010.

You may serve as a TAH grant reviewer if you meet at least one of the following qualifications:

  • A degree in history
  • K-12 history teacher
  • History professor
  • TAH grant director 
  • TAH grant partner
  • History scholar
  • Other history-related professional
  • Professional development provider
  • Evaluator or evaluation specialist

If you are interested, e-mail your abbreviated résumé (five pages maximum) to Yianni Alepohoritis at Yianni.Alepohoritis@ed.gov or Adam Bookman at Adam.Bookman@ed.gov  no later than February 12, 2010.

If selected, you will serve on a panel with two other reviewers.  This process includes one week of reading applications on your own and two weeks of telephone meetings with your panel.  An honorarium is given to those who complete the grant review.

For more information on the TAH program, please visit the program web site at http://www.ed.gov/programs/teachinghistory/index.html.

 

 

Preserve America History Teacher of the Year Award

Nomination deadline: March 15, 2010

National winner receives $10,000

State winners each receive $1,000

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History’s Preserve America History Teacher of the Year Award presents $10,000 to the best history teacher in America. The national winner is chosen from outstanding history teachers in each state, district, and U.S. territory. State winners receive $1,000 and an archive of books and other resources for their school. The award is co-sponsored by the Gilder Lehrman Institute, Preserve America, and HISTORY™ (the History Channel).

Nominations for the Preserve America History Teacher of the Year can be made by a department or division head, school director, social studies director, principal, superintendent, colleague, student, or parent. In 2010, the Gilder Lehrman Institute will honor a middle or high school teacher of grades seven through twelve. K-6 teachers are honored every other year. To nominate a teacher and learn more about the award, visit: www.gilderlehrman.org/htoy.html

You may also contact the Gilder Lehrman History Teacher of the Year coordinator at htoy@gilderlehrman.org or via phone at (646) 366-9666 x28.

 

AHA Today

Keep up with the latest information on history and the profession on the AHA’s blog, AHA Today. Recent posts include:

Annual Meeting

 

News from Washington

In addition to AHA Today, the Association also draws on the efforts of a number of coalitions that support the Association's agenda to keep track of issues in the nation’s capital that will be of concern to historians. Here are news updates from some of them.

  • National Coalition for History (NCH)

     

  • National Humanities Alliance

    The National Humanities Alliance 2010 Annual Meeting & Humanities
    Advocacy Day will take place in Washington, D.C., Monday, March 8 - Tuesday, March 9, 2010.

    New advocate training will be provided on Sunday, March 7 (6:00-7:30pm) prior to the official start of events.

    In order to attend, you must register by February 7, 2010. The fee to attend is $50. A block of hotel rooms is reserved for participants at a discounted rate ($119/night on Sunday, March 7 and $219/night March 8-10) at the One Washington Circle Hotel. Please call the hotel directly at (202) 872-1680 to make a reservation for the National Humanities Alliance group rate before February 7, 2010.

    For more information see the AHA blog post on the National Humanities Alliance 2010 Annual Meeting & Humanities Advocacy Day.

 

 

 

Please feel free to forward this email on to a colleague or friend.

Contributions to this issue of Fortnightly News came from: David Darlington, Noralee Frankel, Elisabeth Grant, Arnita Jones, and Robert B. Townsend.

 

 

 

Last Updated: February 1, 2010