How to Apply

WHO CAN APPLY?

Designed primarily for middle and high school teachers (grades 6-12), the Institute welcomes teachers of all grade levels. We encourage applications from teachers working in a wide range of subject areas, including but not limited to ELA, ENL, English literature, theatre and performing arts, government, history, and social studies, as well as educators such as librarians and administrators whose students would benefit from their multidisciplinary engagement with Shakespeare’s texts.

Prior familiarity with Shakespeare or performance is not a requirement for participation in the Institute. We’re looking for educators with a strong curiosity about holistic approaches to text; an enthusiasm for collaborating both intellectually and creatively with colleagues; and a passion for expanding their strategies for student engagement.

Please review NEH language, available below and at the following links, before applying:

• ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
• PARTICIPANT EXPECTATIONS 

Please also review the NEH Principles of Civility: Project teams and program participants must adhere to the Principles of Civility for NEH Professional Development Programs detailed HERE.

From the NEH – ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

“NEH-funded Institutes are professional development programs that convene K-12 educators or higher education faculty from across the nation to deepen their understanding of significant topics in the humanities and enrich their capacity for effective scholarship and teaching.

NEH-funded Landmarks of American History and Culture programs support a series of one-week residential, virtual, and combined format professional development workshops across the nation to enhance how K-12 educators, higher education faculty, and humanities professionals incorporate place-based approaches to humanities teaching and scholarship.

You are eligible to apply if you are a:

• United States citizen, including those teaching abroad at U.S. chartered institutions and schools operated by the federal government;
• resident of U.S. jurisdictions; or
• foreign national who has been residing in the United States or its jurisdictions for at least the three years immediately preceding the application deadline.

You are not eligible to apply if you:

• are a foreign national teaching abroad
• are related to the project director(s)
• are affiliated with the applicant institution (employees, currently enrolled students, etc.)
• have been taught or advised in an academic capacity by the project director(s)
• are delinquent in the repayment of federal debt (taxes, student loans, child support payments, and delinquent payroll taxes for household or other employees)
• have been debarred or suspended by any federal department or agency
• have attended a previous NEH professional development project (Seminars, Landmarks, or Institutes) led by the project director(s)

NEH does not require participants to have earned an advanced degree.

In any given year, an individual may attend only one Institute or Landmarks workshop.

To be considered for selection, applicants must submit a complete application as indicated on the individual project’s website. Any questions about applications should be directed to the individual project team.”

From the NEH – PARTICIPANT EXPECTATIONS:

“Eligibility and Applying: To be considered, you must submit a complete application as indicated on the individual project’s website. Prospective participants must follow the stated application and acceptance deadlines. In general, application extensions will not be granted. Any questions about applying should be directed to the individual project team. Participant eligibility criteria are determined by NEH. Application review and offer decisions are determined by individual project teams in accordance with NEH eligibility requirements.

Participant Acceptance: In any given year, an individual may attend only one Institute or Landmarks workshop. Participants may not accept an additional offer or withdraw in order to accept a different offer once they have accepted an offer to attend an NEH Institutes or Landmarks program. Endowment programs do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or age.

Participant Stipends and Attendance: Stipends provide compensation to participants for their time commitment and help to defray participation costs, such as travel, program activities, lodging, and meals (for residential programs), and technical support (for virtual programs). For residential programs, participants cover their own costs for travel to/from a program, lodging, and meals. Stipends are taxable as income.

Project teams must not reduce participant stipends for project-related activities, lodging, or meal costs without prior approval. Project teams must not place contingencies (completing a lesson plan, completing a program evaluation, etc.) on the receipt of participant stipends.

Applicants who accept an offer to participate are expected to remain during the entire period of the program and to participate in its work on a full-time basis. If a participant is obliged through special circumstances to arrive after the beginning or depart before the end of the Institutes or Landmarks program, it shall be the recipient institution’s responsibility to see that only a pro rata share of the stipend is received or that the appropriate pro rata share of the stipend is returned if the participant has already received the full stipend.

Participant Evaluations: The NEH requires project directors to collect anonymous participant evaluations at the conclusion of their programs. Unedited participant evaluation responses will be included in the project’s final report to the NEH and any future Institutes or Landmarks applications.

Continuing Education, In-Service, and Graduate Credits for K-12 Programs: Project teams may opt to offer continuing education, in-service, or graduate credit. These opportunities sometimes require additional work by participants beyond the program, such as writing a research paper, and participants are responsible for associated costs or fees unless otherwise noted. See individual project websites for additional information.”

An additional note from Theatre for a New Audience:

All participants will be required to show proof that they are vaccinated against COVID-19 according to current CDC definitions. All faculty, staff, and other TFANA personnel are vaccinated against COVID-19. Our Institute will follow current CDC guidelines regarding COVID-19 response, and participants agree to follow Institute protocols.

HOW DO I APPLY?

Please carefully review the information about the Institute presented on this website, so that you’re prepared to speak in your application materials about your interest in the specific topic, themes, and approaches presented in our 2024 Institute.

• Prompt: In approximately 500 words, tell us about your interest in and/or your experience with teaching Shakespeare’s work. (Prior experience is not required, and we welcome you to share your questions, doubts, or fears about teaching Shakespeare, in addition to your excitement and interest.) We’d like to hear what you hope to accomplish as an Institute member, how you see the experience fitting your professional goals, and how your participation in this Institute would serve your students and/or school community.

Deadline to Submit Applications: Tuesday, March 5, 2024 (by 11:59PM PST)

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I APPLY?

Participants are selected by a committee, which consists of four Institute faculty members, including the project director and the K-12 specialist, who is currently a K-12 classroom teacher. They will evaluate all complete applications to select a group of participants and to identify alternates.

Please Note: All applicants should be aware that once they have accepted an offer to attend any NEH Summer Program (Seminar, Institute, or Landmark), they may not accept an additional offer or withdraw in order to accept a different offer.

Questions? Contact us at education@tfana.org