Christa McAuliffe was an innovative social studies teacher who reached for the stars in an effort to make her dream of space travel a reality. She was the first classroom teacher to participate in space flight and planned to use the experience in teaching lessons from space. In 1986 the Christa McAuliffe Reach for the Stars Award was established to help classroom teachers "reach for the stars" and achieve a dream that under ordinary circumstances would not be fulfilled. The Fund for the Advancement of Social Studies Education (FASSE) was created in 1984 by the Board of Directors of the National Council for the Social Studies. The purpose of the fund is to support research and classroom application projects which improve social studies education, foster enlightened citizenship, and promote civic competence.
The purpose of the $2,500 grant is to help a social studies educator make his or her dream of innovative social studies a reality. Grants will be given to assist classroom teachers in: 1) developing and implementing imaginative, innovative, and illustrative social studies teaching strategies; and 2) supporting student implementation of innovative social studies, citizenship projects, field experiences, and community connections.
The Christa McAuliffe Reach for the Stars Award is a cash award up to $2500. Recipients of the award also present a session at the NCSS Annual Conference, and receive a commemorative award piece during the Awards Reception at the Annual Conference. The awards is sponsored by National Council for the Social Studies and Fund for the Advancement of Social Studies Education
Application/Nomination Deadline: May 31, 2013
Eligibility:
- NCSS membership is required.
- Full-time social studies teacher or social studies teacher educators currently engaged with K-12 students.
- "Reach for the Stars" projects that represent excellence and innovation in social studies education and have the potential of serving as a model for other teachers.
Criteria for Selection:
- Project activities and teaching strategies should represent inquiry based teaching and learning.
- Projects should be designed to encourage students to develop understanding of concepts from the social science disciplines in order to communicate their ideas in a variety of formats spoken, written, graphic, statistical, and/or electronic.
- Projects should enable students to become involved in exploring a range of options such as information technology, primary source material, community resources and local organizations, oral histories and interpretative centers as well as traditional resources, to develop their skills.
- Projects should enable students to become involved in exploring a range of options such as information technology, primary source material, community resources and local organizations, oral histories and interpretative centers as well as traditional resources, to develop their skills.