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Simulated Mini Grant Application: Nebraska Humanities Council

Jerrold R Warren

Education 5980: Professional Development Capstone

Nebraska Wesleyan University

March 27, 2019

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Mini Grant Application

Nebraska Humanities Council

1. Project Name

a. National History Day – Millard Central Middle School

2. Amount Requested

a. $1,490 – Mini Grant Request

3. County

a. Douglas County

4. Legislative District

a. 20

5. State of Nebraska and IRS Tax Statement (Applicants must have non-profit status

according to the State of Nebraska and the IRS, and must provide proof of 501( c )(3) or

other 501( c ) status below. (State, country, or local government entities, including

schools, are exempt from this requirement.)

a. Public School Project – Exempt

6. Project Format

a. School – Student Project(s)

7. Project Description

a. Millard Central Middle School (MCMS) is a 6-8th grade middle school with

in the Millard Public Schools district. MCMS, while housing the standard 6th, 7th,

and 8th grades, also houses Millard’s Alternative Curriculum Program

(ACP)(Behavioral), Young Adult Program (YAP)(Special Education), and is the

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most culturally diverse of the Millard middle schools (Millard Central Middle

School, 2017). Furthermore, in 2016 (the earliest aggregate data available), the

free and reduced lunch percentage of MCMS was 40.7% of students receiving a

free and reduced lunch. This percentage is staggering compared to the Millard

Public Schools average of 18.11%.

With this grant, an estimated thirty to forty students will have the

opportunity to participate in the National History Day program that promotes

student learning of history through year-long research projects and engagement.

Throughout the school year, students will engage in historical inquiry about a

topic of their choice relating to each year’s theme which will culminate in

presentations that are showcased at local, regional, state, and even national

competitions. This grant will provide for student research supplies, equipment,

staffing costs for one teacher sponsor, and transportation costs for students and

staff to the local, regional, and state competitions.

A further explanation of what the National History Day program is as follows:

(Dr. Cypert Note/Question: Should this be included in the supplemental

materials attachment section for question #29??)

Description of National History Day (NHD) provided by the National History

Day (NHD) Organization

National History Day (NHD) is a nonprofit organization that creates

opportunities for teachers and students to engage in historical research. NHD is

not a predetermined, by-the-book program but rather an innovative curriculum

framework in which students learn history by selecting topics of interest and

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launching into year-long research projects. The mission of NHD is to improve the

teaching and learning of history in middle and high school. The most visible

vehicle is the NHD Contest.

When studying history through historical research, students and teachers

practice critical inquiry, asking questions of significance, time, and place. History

students become immersed in a detective story. Beginning in the fall, students

choose a topic related to the annual theme and conduct extensive primary and

secondary research. After analyzing and interpreting their sources and drawing

conclusions about their topics’ significance in history, students present their work

in original papers, exhibits, performances, websites, or documentaries. These

projects are entered into competitions in the spring at local, affiliate, and national

levels, where they are evaluated by professional historians and educators. The

program culminates at the national competition held each June at the University

of Maryland at College Park.

Each year National History Day uses a theme to provide a lens through

which students can examine history. The theme for 2019 is Triumph & Tragedy in

History. The annual theme frames the research for both students and teachers. It is

intentionally broad enough that students can select topics from any place (local,

national, or world) and any time period in history. Once students choose their

topics, they investigate historical context, historical significance, and the topic’s

relationship to the theme by conducting research in libraries, archives, and

museums; through oral history interviews; and by visiting historic sites.

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NHD benefits both teachers and students. For the student, NHD allows

control of his or her own learning. Students select topics that match their interests.

Program expectations and guidelines are explicitly provided for students, but the

research journey is driven by the process and is unique to the historical research.

Throughout the year, students develop essential life skills by fostering intellectual

curiosity and academic achievement. In addition, students develop critical-

thinking and problem-solving skills that will help them manage and use

information now and in the future.

Students’ greatest ally in the research process is the classroom teacher.

NHD supports teachers by providing instructional materials and through

workshops at local, affiliate, and national levels. Many teachers find that

incorporating the NHD theme into their regular classroom curriculum encourages

students to watch for examples of the theme and to identify connections in their

study of history across time.

NHD’s work with teachers and students extends beyond the contest and

includes institutes and training programs, which provide teachers with

opportunities to study history and develop lessons and materials they can share

with their students. In addition, NHD offers continuing education courses for

teachers (for graduate credit or professional development hours) to improve

classroom practice (nhd.org/onlineeducation). NHD also offers teaching resources

to help teachers integrate primary sources and critical thinking into the classroom.

These resources are free and accessible to all teachers. Visit nhd.org to learn

more.
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8. Event Details – List date(s), Time(s), Location(s) of proposed events/programs/activities

a. NOTE: Dates are for the 2019 School Year as reference.

b. Millard Central Middle School Contest Showcase: Wednesday, February 13, 2019

c. City of Omaha Contest: Tuesday, February 26, 2019

d. State of Nebraska Contest: Saturday, April 6, 2019

e. National History Day – June 9-13, 2019

9. Timeline/Schedule – If your project is a single event, enter or attach the proposed

schedule or program for the vent. If the project involves more than a single event, enter

or attach a timeline of activities leading up to the completion of your project

a. The National History Day club will meet after school every week on Thursdays

from 3:00 to 4:15 P.M.

b. Anticipated Dates: August 15, 2019 through May 20, 2020

10. Project End Date – Provide anticipated date of project completion

a. Saturday, April 6, 2019 (if using 2019 as a template)

11. Primary Humanities Discipline

a. History

12. If combination of two or more disciplines, please list

a. Social Sciences and Multi-Cultural

13. Humanities Content – Describe the Issues, concepts, questions or themes the project

seeks to address. Why are they important and how do they relate to the Nebraska

Humanities Council’s mission and purposes? How is the primary humanities discipline
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you identified above central to your project and how will your project stimulate interest

in the humanities? What discussion of the identified humanities discipline is planned?

a. The theme for the research changes each year, however the premise of

research remains the same. Students ask questions about time, place and context,

cause and effect, change over time, and impact and significance while examining

primary and secondary sources relating to their topics. Students must also

consider when and where events happened, but also why they occurred and what

factors contributed to their development. Students will describe their topics and

then further develop it through analysis, drawing conclusions about how the topic

influenced and was influenced by people, ideas, or events.

This year’s theme, Triumph and Tragedy in History, according to the

National History Day handbook “is complex and requires you to view history

through multiple perspectives. Can one person’s triumph be another’s tragedy?

Can the same person or group suffer from tragedy and triumph at the same time?

How does one ultimately triumph after tragedy? Can triumph lead to tragedy?

Throughout this academic year you will ask yourself these questions and more,

always looking for how and why.”

Through the National History Day Club, students will research aspects of

world history while also examining the local impact of the events while also

relating it back to the overall theme of Triumph and Tragedy. During the local,

district, and state exhibitions, students will also have the opportunity to witness

other students’ projects and topics.

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14. Humanities Scholars/Specialists – Identify the primary humanities scholar/scholars for

the project and explain their role in the project (planning, consulting, evaluating,

speaking, moderating, etc.). Identify additional humanities speakers/presenters and their

specific role (Lecturer, panelist, commentator, moderator, discussion leader, etc.) and

topic.

a. Thursday Club Meetings: Local historians, teachers, and community members

will serve as guest lecturers and will assist students with the research of student

projects

b. City of Omaha History Day: Durham Western Heritage Museum staff members,

local historians, and community members will serve as guest lecturers and judges

of student projects.

c. State of Nebraska History Day: Nebraska Wesleyan University professors, local

historians, and community members will serve as guest lecturers and judges of

student projects.

15. Scholar Resumes/Letters

a. N/A

16. Collaborating Organizations

a. Millard Public Schools, Millard Central Middle School, Nebraska History Day

Association, National History Day Association

17. Audience Source

a. Omaha Metro, Statewide

18. Target Audience – Describe the intended audience. Who is the program designed for

and why? To what extent have you involved members of the intended audience in the
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planning process for the project? Please describe efforts to develop new and broader

audiences and participation.

a. While the target audience of National History Day are middle and high school

students, the target audience for this project specifically are 6th, 7th, and 8th grade

students at Millard Central Middle School in Millard, Nebraska. Throughout the

school year, students will conduct historical research on a topic of their choice

relating to the yearly theme. Once Millard Central Middle School’s National

History Day club is established, it is my goal to encourage other Millard Public

Schools to start their own National History Day clubs.

19. Promotion and Outreach – Discuss plans for promotion and outreach, including plans

to attract target audience(s). List specific publicity methods that will be used to develop

an audience.

a. The club will be announced to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students and staff during the

morning and afternoon daily announcements

b. The club will be showcased at the Student Activity Fair during Open House

during the first week of school

c. The club announcement will be included in the parent newsletter during the first

weeks of school

20. Attendance/Participation –Based on past experience or best estimates, how many

people do you anticipate will attend or participate in your project?

a. Approximately 30 to 40 students will participate in this project, based on average

club attendances at Millard Central Middle School.

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21. Desired outcome – What are the anticipated benefits/results of this project/program?

Consider the possible outcomes below and list those that apply to your project. Describe

how you expect the project will specifically contribute to the outcomes that you listed.

a. Provide Humanities programming to an underserved group

b. Support humanities education for elementary or secondary students

c. Help People understand their own experiences by considering the experiences of

others

d. Increase understanding among different cultures

22. Organizational Outcomes – (Choose from items below)

a. Form new collaborative relationships

b. Increase awareness of the needs in our communities

23. Evaluation/Feedback – How will you assess the degree to which you meet your desired

outcomes? The NHC requires you to get feedback from your audience on how they

benefited from, or the value they see in, your project and suggestions on how it could be

improved. If funded, you will be required to share the results of your evaluation with the

NHC in your final report.

a. Project Completion and Feedback: Within the guidelines for National History

Day, students complete research a historical topic of their choice relating to the

national theme. The research is then turned into project presentations that include

but are not limited to videos, skits, informational talks and discussions, art

displays, and posters. The projects are then presented at a local, regional, state,

and possibly national level.

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b. Survey Feedback: Throughout the project and at the conclusion, surveys will be

completed by students and parents to assess how they benefited from the project

and suggestions on how it could be improved.

c. Personal Reflection: Throughout the project and at the conclusion, I will reflect

and self-assess the project goals and outcomes and will use the parent and student

survey results to guide further practice.

24. Project Budget – Complete and upload or use the fax to file feature. You may submit

your own version of a budget as long as it contains all of the information required. The

budget form is an Excel spreadsheet embedded in a word document.

a. See Attached

25. Other NHC Resources - Identify ALL other assistance or resources from the Nebraska

Humanities Council (such as Speakers Bureau) that will support or be part of this

project, program, or event (whether applied for by your organization or some other

organization)

a. N/A

26. Anticipated Funders – List other funding sources you anticipate for this project

a. Millard Public Schools

b. Millard Central Middle School

c. Student and Parent contributions

27. Organization’s Annual Operating Budget – Indicate below the annual operating

budget of the applicant organization

a. Over $1,000,000
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28. Organization’s Board – Enter, upload, or fax to file the names and addresses of your

board

a. N/A

29. Additional Information

a. N/A

30. Letters of Support, publicity materials, etc, in support of your application as

applicable

a. N/A