We are looking for sixteen enthusiastic and committed teachers of German, world history, government, civics, or other subjects who want to be NEH Summer Scholars. We want people who share our curiosity and enthusiasm for the topic, and we will be selecting NEH Summer Scholars based on the extent to which they will benefit personally and professionally from the seminar. We expect to be forced to make difficult choices among well-qualified applicants and, all things being equal, we would opt for teachers from a variety of teaching backgrounds and geographic locations, as well as from schools with diverse student populations. Applicants must attest to German proficiency at the Intermediate-Mid level or above, according to ACTFL proficiency guidelines or their equivalent. We do not require language certification or testing. The seminar itself will be rigorous and rewarding, lots of work but fun with plenty of time to explore the city. We are well aware just how important it is for such teachers to spend time immersed in the language and culture of Germany, particularly for the purposes of this seminar, in the cosmopolitan culture of contemporary Berlin.

Please read through the detailed application instructions provided by NEH

The application consists of three parts:

1. The Cover Sheet, which you can access at: https://securegrants.neh.gov/education/participants/
Once you have filled out the online version, be sure to print a copy that you can scan and send to Professor Shandley as an email attachment.

2. An essay, which the NEH describes as follows: “The most important part of the application is the essay of no more than four double spaced pages. This essay should include your reasons for applying to the specific project; your relevant personal and academic information; you qualifications to do the work of the project and make a contribution to it; what you hope to accomplish; and the relation of the study to your teaching.” For the purposes of the seminar in Berlin, be sure to indicate to us that your German proficiency is at the intermediate mid level or above. We do not require that someone test you; we have had good luck in the past with people giving an honest assessment of their ability.

3. The names and contact information for two people who will be prepared to speak to your qualifications. Reference letters are no longer required. Please include their information in your email to Professor Shandley. r-shandley@tamu.edu

Applications are due March 4, 2014

Successful applicants will be notified by email and then by phone on Monday, March 31. NEH is very strict about the deadline, so we plan to send out emails right after midnight of March 30, and we will call to make a personal connection later in the day on March 31. Successful applicants will have to accept or decline the offer by Friday, April 4.