AHA Calls for Nominations: Nancy Lyman Roelker Award

The American Historical Association has published a ‘Calls for Nominations’ for the Nancy Lyman Roelker Award in the September 2009 edition of Perspectives on History.

This award was established to honor history teachers “who taught, guided, and inspired their students in a way that changed their lives. Mentoring is as important to the discipline of history as fine scholarship and good teaching. The ideal mentor is forthright, supportive, and constructively critical, committed to the student as a person, regardless of age or career goals.”

The Nancy Lyman Roelker Mentorship Award is given on a three-year cycle for graduate mentors, undergraduate mentors and secondary school teachers. The 2010 award is for secondary school mentors and carries a cash award.

Nominations should include:

1) A completed cover sheet and checklist.

2) A minimum of five letters supporting the nomination. These letters can be from students, former students, parents, colleagues, and others. There is no set proportion or formula for the “right” mixes of letters. Individuals organizing nominations should solicit a cross section as appropriate to address the essential elements noted above. Preferred maximum length of letters is two pages.

3) The nominee’s vita highlighting educational experience and student mentoring (publications and professional activities should be summarized in no more than 2 pages). The preferred maximum length of a c.v. is two-to-five pages.

Mail to: Roelker Mentorship Award, AHA, 400 A Street S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003.

Coversheet and checklist, all letters supporting the nomination, and vita must be postmarked no later than March 31, 2010.

The 2010 award will be announced at the January 6-9, 2011 AHA 125^th annual meeting in Boston.

The History Education Council of Hawaii recognizes that there are many qualified secondary-level history teachers and mentors and urges Hawaii educators to pursue this opportunity.