Valley Forge Project

Outstanding Teacher in American History Program (Valley Forge Project)

If you are an American History teacher, teaching grades seven through twelve within the State of California, private or public school systems, you are eligible to apply for this award.

The award consists of one week at the Valley Forge Foundation Workshop at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. www.ffvf.org

It consists of the workshop, lodging, meals, park admission, bus fares at the Freedom Foundation and round trip transportation from a major air terminal in California.

The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, whose mission and objectives are patriotic, historical, and educational, wish to identify, recognize, and commend Outstanding Social Studies Teachers.  These extraordinary educators at private, public, and parochial institutions, who teach our children in a middle or high school setting, will be recognized for actively addressing the history of the American Revolutionary era.  The Tom & Betty Lawrence American History Teacher Award winner will represent a teacher whose instruction on the Revolutionary War era from 1750 - 1800 demonstrates educational efforts in the classroom that exceed and excel above current, accepted, curriculum requirements.

The Tom & Betty Lawrence American History Teacher Award winner will receive a trip to Freedoms Foundation Summer Teacher Graduate Workshop at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.  This award, valued at $1,400.00, will include tuition, room, and board provided through the Freedoms Foundation.  Transportation expenses will be limited to $400.00.  The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution will provide this professional educational opportunity to an educator who will bring back to the classroom a heightened level of creativity and enthusiasm to their students of the American Revolutionary era.

The NSSAR invites all social studies teachers, whose approved curriculum teaches students about the Revolutionary War era from 1750 to 1800, to apply for the Tom & Betty Lawrence American History Teacher Award.  The educator must be a teacher at the middle or high school level at a recognized public, private, or parochial institution.

The award program will be conducted in three (3) phases:  Local Chapter, State Society, and National Society.  The applicant must begin the entry process by obtaining an application form and submitting the completed application through a local SAR Chapter.  To locate Local Chapters, applicants can go to www.sar.org and click on their state website.

Applicant Entry Deadline to Local Chapters:  14 December, 2007

Chapter Entry Deadline to State Societies:  2 January, 2008

State Societies Candidate Deadline to National Society:  4 February, 2008

Teacher candidates interested in entering the Local Chapter award contest must complete the required application and submit a written 500 essay discussing the importance to teaching the American Revolutionary era and any extraordinary teaching techniques or innovative projects utilized by the teacher to teach the Revolutionary War.  The essay should also discuss why the teacher wants to attend the Valley Forge Summer Teacher Graduate Workshop and how the teacher would use what is learned at the Workshop in the future.

Two signed letters of recommendation, one from the Supervisor and one from the Principal whose signature endorsing the applicant appears on the application, should also be among the application materials.  These letters need to state why the applicant is an outstanding teacher of American history.

In addition to the application and written essay NSSAR requests from the applicant a one-page autobiography highlighting their educational background and achievements.   All application materials must be typed/printed on 8.5" x 11" standard paper and submitted either electronically or through the mail.  No handwritten or copied material will be accepted.  All original materials will remain the property of NSSAR.

This award is specifically for the graduate program and not redeemable for its monetary value.  If the award winner is unable to attend the 2008 Freedoms Foundation Summer Teacher Graduate Workshop due to scheduling conflicts, the award will be held over till the following summer.

Following the established deadlines as outlined, the Local Chapters will distribute and accept award applications until 14 December 2007.  The deadline for Local Chapters to submit their winner to the State Society will be 2 January 2008.   State Societies in turn will receive, evaluate and judge the Local Chapter finalist applications and submit the one state finalist to the National Society by 4 February 2008.  The National Society will announce the winner from the state finalists by 10 March 2008.  All state nominees will receive a certificate of appreciation for their participation and be notified through United States mail of the contest results at the address indicated on the award application by 1 April 2008.

For information and rules contact:
Redlands Chapter Past President
Col. Will Langford,
USAF (Ret)
669 Center Crest Dr.
Redlands,CA 92373
(909)792-8939
wlangford1@msn.com

Rick Campbell
winner of the 2004 California Valley Forge Project award.

Mr. Campbell teaches 9-12 history classes at Oakmont High School in Roseville, California. He has been teaching for four years having received his BA in Economics and his credential in Social Studies from California State University in Sacramento.

Rick thanked the State Society for having selected him for this honor which provided him with this "incredible experience."

Beginning with his arrival in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania he was in the Medal of Honor Grove, the site where Washington crossed the Delaware, Trenton and Princeton. Nassau Hall at Princeton University, once the largest building in the Colonies, was the site where Alexander Hamilton fired a cannon ball, through the door, that destroyed a picture of King George, III. His group toured the oldest Amish settlement in the United States. They toured the Battlefields of Brandywine and Monmouth and spent their last day in Philadelphia. There they saw the Museum of Art and Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed. Then on to Carpenter's Hall where many colonist met in secret, the First Bank of the United States and the National Constitution Center.

Every night they had speakers such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Baron Yon Steuben and the Marquis de Lafayette. They made history come to life. Campbell can take what he learned there back to his students and share with them part of our history and the experience he had.

He thanks the California society for this wonderful opportunity and looks forward to taking his family to Valley Forge some day.