June 2010 e-Newsletter
left_roundTeaching American History

On June 7, the LEH will launch two "Teaching American History" series of summer institutes in American history for public school history teachers in southwest and northeast Louisiana. The Calcasieu Parish series, now in its third and final year, is funded by a $1 million U.S. Department of Education grant. The institutes in northeast Louisiana, in their first year, are underwritten by a $1.6 million U.S. Department of Education grant. The LEH secured both grants for the school districts.

Approximately 65 elementary, middle and high school Calcasieu Parish public school teachers will attend four month-long graduate institutes at McNeese State University. The institutes include The American Revolution to 1812 (two sessions, one for elementary and one for middle school teachers), A Multi-Cultural Journey through Louisiana History, and U.S. History from 1850 to 1900. These institutes parallel the state's grade-level teaching areas for elementary, middle and high school teachers. Teachers completing the program successfully will receive three hours of graduate credit, a stipend, textbooks and teaching materials to take back to their classrooms. With this summer, a total of 185 Calcasieu Parish teachers will have completed the summer institutes in American history at McNeese since the program began in 2008.

In northeast Louisiana, an estimated 45 elementary, middle and high school teachers from Ouachita, Richland, Morehouse, East Carroll parishes and Monroe City Schools will attend the following institutes: Early Exploration to Colony: 1492-1607, The Founding of a Nation, and U.S. History from the Gilded Age to World War I. All three institutes will be held at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Teachers completing the institutes will receive benefits similar to teachers in Calcasieu Parish.

McNeese State University and the University of Louisiana at Monroe, eager to help teachers and their students increase their content knowledge in American history, has waived tuition and most fees, except for mandatory legislative fees that will be paid by the grant.

For more information about this program, contact LEH deputy director John Kemp at 504-620-2481 or kemp@leh.org.
left_roundLEH-Sponsored Events
Kenner, La. - Watch local Native Americans transform tiny colorful beads, alligator garfish scales, alligator teeth, stones and silver into unique, beautiful beadwork and jewelry. These traditional and contemporary accessories have embellished tribal dress and dance regalia in both recent times and past. Demonstrations include:
  • Gerald Behan, Sioux - Traditional Chokers and Accessories
  • Rose Behan, Eastern Band of Cherokee Heritage - Loom Beadwork
  • Louise Billiot, United Houma Nation - Peyote Stitch Beadwork
  • Happie Karty Bryan, Comanche / Kiowa - Gourd Stitch Beadwork
  • Lora Ann Chaisson, United Houma Nation - Beadwork
  • Janie Luster, United Houma Nation - Alligator Garfish Scale Pins
  • Estelle Malagarie, Houma/ Choctaw Heritage - Loom Beadwork & Jewelry
  • Margo Rosas, Choctaw/ Mexican Heritage - Beadwork
  • Ron Verdun, United Houma Nation - Jewelry made from Alligator Garfish Scales and Alligator Scoots, Teeth and Claws
Admission is $3 for adults and $2.50 for children and seniors and includes admission to the Native American Museum. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. June 5 at the Rivertown Exhibition Hall, 415 Williams Blvd. For more information, call 504-468-7231.
left_roundPRIME TIME participates in Children Summit

The Louisiana Children's Museum and the Tulane University Institute of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health have partnered to host "Investing in Children," a summit on early childhood development and its impact on building prosperous and healthy communities. The summit, scheduled to take place June 1-3 at Loyola University in New Orleans, will feature international, national, state and local leaders who have influenced early learning at their respective levels.  

PRIME TIME Co-Director Miranda Restovic will serve as a panelist during the session "Creating Community: Using Documentation to Involve Families." This panel will look at a framework to support home-school partnerships and engage families in multiple ways. The session will be held 10-12:30 a.m. June 2.   

The summit registration fee is $85 with all-day access to plenary sessions on Wednesday and receptions on Tuesday and Wednesday night. Click here to view the conference schedule. Registration and additional information can be found at www.lcm.org. You can also email eelizardi@lcm.org with questions.
left_roundPRIME TIME welcomes Holly Bell

As a result of the partnership between the LEH and the Early Childhood and Family Learning Foundation (ECFLF), Holly Bell has joined the PRIME TIME team as assistant director and project coordinator for the Mahalia Jackson Center in Central City New Orleans. Bell will coordinate and manage all PRIME TIME-related activities at the Mahalia Jackson Center. She also will be the on-site liaison for other partner agencies invited to do arts/humanities-related programming at the Center.

Formerly an instructor of Developmental Studies & Education at Louisiana State University at Eunice as well as a PRIME TIME storyteller, Bell holds a M.Ed. in Elementary Education Instruction and Curriculum from Arizona State University. She is doctoral candidate in Human Ecology at Louisiana State University.
left_roundCity of New Orleans issues resolution recognizing PRIME TIME!

The New Orleans City Council passed Resolution R-10-208, introduced by City Council Vice-President Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson, congratulating the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities for the regional and national success of its PRIME TIME Family Reading Time. The resolution also supported the LEH's application for the U.S. Department of Education's new grant program, titled Investing in Innovation, for further statewide expansion of the LEH's successful model.  President/Executive Director of the LEH Michael Sartisky and Miranda Restovic, co-director of PRIME TIME Family Reading Time, appeared before the council to describe the successful reading program and to thank the Council for its support.

"This program has been a great resource to the families of our city and especially our youth," said Jackie Clarkson. "The Council applauds the program's success and fully supports their proposal for expansion."

*Portions of this entry were obtained from the New Orleans City Council website.
left_round RELIC: Readings in Literature and Culture

Upcoming RELIC programs promise to offer Louisiana readers a variety of programs and discussion opportunities in libraries across the state. For the first time, more than half of the scheduled programs will be funded by local support. For many libraries, the prospect of losing their annual RELIC program is of greater concern than the cost, which runs about $2,000 or less for a six-week, university scholar-led reading and discussion program. Fall schedule:
  • Abbeville - Vermilion Parish Library. "Louisiana History: Perspectives on the Pelican State." 6-8 p.m., Tuesdays, Sept. 7-Oct. 12. 337-893-2674.
  • Alexandria - Westside Regional Branch, Rapides Parish Library.  "Where Is North Louisiana?"  6-8 p.m., Tuesdays, Sept. 14-Oct. 19. 318-445-2411.
  • Bastrop - Morehouse Parish Library. "Folktales and Stories of the South and Louisiana." 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Sept. 7-Oct. 12. 318-281-3696.
  • Bossier City - Bossier Parish Historical Center. "Where Is North Louisiana?"  6-8 p.m. Thursdays, Aug. 19-Sept. 23. 318-746-7717.
  • Galvez - Ascension Parish Library. "The Creole Identity and Experience in Louisiana Literature and History." 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays, Sept. 21-Oct. 26. 225-622-3339.
  • Lake Charles - Calcasieu Parish Public Library. "The American West in Fact and Fiction." 6-8 p.m. Thursdays, Sept. 23-Oct. 28. 337-721-7170.  
  • Metairie - Jefferson Parish Library. "Louisiana Characters: Biographies of the Bayou State." 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Oct. 12-Nov. 16.  504-838-1100.  
  • Natchitoches - Natchitoches Parish Library. "Louisiana Characters: Biographies of the Bayou State."  6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Oct. 12-Nov. 16. 318-357-3280
  • New Iberia - Parkview Branch, Iberia Parish Library. "The Creole Identity and Experience in Louisiana Literature and History."  6-8 p.m. Thursdays, Oct. 7-Nov. 11.  337-364-7024.  
  • New Roads - Pointe Coupee Parish Library. "Battleground Louisiana: Civil War Events and Experiences." 2-4 p.m. Thursdays, Sept. 9-Oct. 14. 225-638-9841.
  • Ringgold - Bienville Parish Library. "Where Is North Louisiana?" 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays, Sept. 14-Oct. 26. 318-894-9770.
  • Ruston - Lincoln Parish Library. "Where Is North Louisiana?" 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays, Nov. 2-Dec. 7. 318-251-5030.   
  • Stonewall - DeSoto Parish Library. "The Louisiana Purchase: Impact and Legacy."  4-6 p.m. Thursdays, Sept. 30-Nov. 4. 318-925-9191.
  • Vidalia - Concordia Parish Library. "Folktales and Stories of the South and Louisiana."  6-8 p.m. Thursdays, Aug. 26-Sept. 30. 318-757-3550.  
  • Winnfield - Winn Parish Library. "Where Is North Louisiana?" 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Sept. 7-Oct. 12. 318-628-4478.
left_roundSummer Teacher Institutes for Advanced Studies

 The Beat Generation
Louisiana State University at Eunice
June 2 - 29, 2010
Dr. Michael Alleman
337-550-1318
malleman@lsue.edu

In this graduate-level Teacher Institute for Advanced Study, educators will spend four intensive weeks reading and discussing the works, the times and the lives of the Beat Generation. The class will study Beat literature within the context of both post-World War II American society and the countercultural tradition of American history, casting light on the specific social, political and ideological forces that shaped it.

Prime Time in the K-8 Classroom
Louisiana State University at Shreveport
June 7 - July 2, 2010
Dr. Helen Taylor
318-797-5211
helen.taylor@lsus.edu

In this graduate-level Teacher Institute for Advanced Study, educators will enhance their ability to teach reading and critical thinking skills to students in grades K-8 and practice new techniques for connecting classroom literature to character education. Teachers will learn to elicit and foster thoughtful discussion, focus students' responses on real-life issues, and explore attitudes to gender, identity, and social roles, using the methodology of the LEH's hugely successful PRIMETIME FAMILY READING PROGRAM.
 
Participants who successfully complete each institute will receive a $750 stipend and 45 Continuous Learning Units. Participants also can earn 3 hours of graduate credit.