CHICAGO — This summer, Illinois’ best teachers will be rewarded for their hard work with a program designed and sponsored by the Illinois Humanities Council (IHC). Created seven years ago by the IHC, the “True Learning, True Teaching” program is designed to reward the state’s finest teachers with opportunities for further learning and intellectual renewal. Each seminar contains a humanities focus, is interdisciplinary in scope, and is led by a prominent humanist scholar from a local college or university. Twenty to twenty-five teachers will be selected to attend each of the all-expenses paid seminars. The deadline for this year’s applicants is May 1, 2003.
Held at Illinois State Parks, this summer’s six seminars provide a natural and idyllic setting in which to learn. Participants can choose from one of the following seminars:
June 22-27: Mark Twain’s Mississippi as Story and Symbol; Pere Marquette State Park, Grafton, Illinois; Chad Rohman, Dominican University
*June 22-27: Chaucer on Marriage and Integrity; Pere Marquette State Park, Grafton, Illinois; David Raybin, Eastern Illinois University
July 13-18: Folk and Ethnic Music in Illinois and the Midwest; Starved Rock State Park, Utica, Illinois; Paul Tyler, Old Town School of Folk Music
*July 13-18: Understanding Nature through Art and Science; Starved Rock State Park, Utica, Illinois; Charles Schweighauser, University of Illinois-Springfield
July 27-August 1: Earth Words: The Literature of Nature; Starved Rock State Park, Utica, Illinois; Carol LaChapelle, Independent Scholar
*July 27-August 1: How The West Was Lost: Reinterpretations of the Frontier Experience; Starved Rock State Park, Utica, Illinois; Theodore Karamanski, Loyola University Chicago
*(These seminars run concurrently).
“Teachers feel that the Illinois Humanities Council is allowing them to grow and learn, both as educators and as people,” said Clark Halker, Senior Program Officer with the IHC. “One teacher raved, ‘This was far superior to most of the seminars or workshops that I have attended. It was just for us — for our personal growth. What a concept!’”
In addition to providing intellectual renewal, the seminars succeed in assembling a diverse group of teachers from various academic disciplines and various regions of the state in a retreat atmosphere. Teachers selected for the seminars will also have the opportunity to visit historical sites and participate in field trips and nature walks. Tuition, lodging, meals and program materials are provided by the IHC. Although the “True Learning, True Teaching” seminars are dedicated to “learning for the sake of learning,” participants will be eligible for Continuing Education Units (CEUs).
Any Illinois K-12 teacher who has taught for at least one year and currently is employed in an Illinois school is welcome to apply. Teachers interested in one of the seminars should call or write the Illinois Humanities Council for an application. Applications also can be found on the IHC website at www.prairie.org (click on “Programs”).
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