TO APPLY—2024 NEH Landmarks Little Tokyo Workshop
Little Tokyo: How History Shapes a Community Across Generations
An NEH Landmarks of American History and Culture workshop for teachers
Los Angeles, CA
June 24–28, 2024 and July 15–19, 2024
The NEH-funded Landmarks of American History and Culture program gives K–12 educators the opportunity to engage with projects that situate the study of topics and themes in K–12 humanities within sites, areas, or regions of historic and cultural significance. Projects employ a place-based approach and are designed to offer educators a unique and compelling opportunity to deepen and expand their knowledge of the diverse histories, cultures, traditions, languages, and perspectives of the American people. While this program is open to all K–12 educators, the sessions and materials for Little Tokyo: How History Shapes a Community Across Generations are designed primarily for educators who work with grades 6–12.
Each Landmarks program is offered twice in one summer and accommodates 30 educators in each one-week session.
Session 1: June 24–28, 2024
Session 2: July 15–19, 2024
Please note that applicants apply to specific programs directly and not to the Landmarks program in general. Prior to completing an application to Little Tokyo: How History Shapes a Community Across Generations, please review the project website and consider carefully what is expected in terms of residence and attendance, reading and writing requirements, and general participation in the work of the project.
Participant Stipends, Expectations, and Conditions of Award
Each participant will receive a $1,300 stipend after completing the workshop. This stipend is intended to help compensate participants for their time commitment and to defray the costs of participation in the workshop which may include expenses such as travel, housing, and meals. Stipends are taxable as income.
Applicants who accept an offer to participate are expected to remain during the entire period of the Landmarks program and to participate in its work on a full time basis while abiding by the NEH Principles of Civility at all times. If a participant is obliged through special circumstances to depart before the end of the program, a pro rata share of the stipend is received.
Participants are required to submit an assessment of their program experience and its values to their personal and professional development. These confidential evaluations will become a part of the project’s grant file and final report submitted to the NEH.
In addition participants are expected to create one lesson plan around workshop content. This can be worked on during and after the workshop period. A basic concept must be provided at the end of the workshop with a finished lesson completed no later than September 2, 2024.
For additional details regarding participant expectations, please carefully review the Participant Expectations.
NEH Participant Eligibility Criteria
Please carefully review the Participant Eligibility Criteria.
Application Deadline
Participant applications are due no later than Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.
Principles of Civility for NEH Professional Development Programs
NEH Seminars, Institutes, and Landmarks programs are intended to extend and deepen knowledge and understanding of the humanities by focusing on significant topics, texts, and issues; contribute to the intellectual vitality and professional development of participants; and foster a community of inquiry that provides models of excellence in scholarship and teaching.
NEH expects that project directors will take responsibility for encouraging an ethos of openness and respect, upholding the basic norms of civil discourse.
Seminar, Institute, and Landmarks presentations and discussions should be:
- firmly grounded in rigorous scholarship, and thoughtful analysis;
- conducted without partisan advocacy;
- respectful of divergent views;
- free of ad hominem commentary; and
- devoid of ethnic, religious, gender, disability, or racial bias.
How To Apply
Applicants must submit:
Thank you for your interest. The application period for this workshop has ended and applications are no longer being accepted.
- A completed online application form
- A resume or short biography (not to exceed 1 page)
- An application essay (not to exceed 500 words)
All application materials must be submitted no later than March 5, 2024; incomplete applications will not be considered.
You may submit your resume or biography and application essay in one two ways: If you are using a Google account you may upload materials when prompted on the online application form. Alternatively, you may email your documents to landmarks@janm.org with your first and last name and “application materials” as the subject line.
Your resume or biography should reflect your educational qualifications, professional experience, and interests.
Suggested topics to address in your essay include, but are not limited to: your intellectual interests as related to the topic of exploring Japanese American history through the community of Little Tokyo in Los Angeles; your perspectives, skills or experiences that would contribute to this workshop; a description of how participation in this workshop will have a long-term impact on your teaching; and how the Japanese American National Museum’s (JANM’s) mission aligns with your teaching practices or the mission of your school or organization. JANM’s mission is: to promote the understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience.
Selection Committee and Criteria
Participants will be selected by a committee consisting of three or more members, including the project directors and at least one K-12 classroom teacher. This committee will read and evaluate all properly completed applications.
- At least three spaces per session (six total for the entire program) will be reserved for educators who are new to the profession (five or fewer years teaching experience).
- While previous NEH Landmarks, Institutes, and Seminar participants are eligible to apply and can attend, first consideration will be given to applicants who have not previously participated in an NEH-supported professional development program.
- Preference is given to applicants who would significantly contribute to the diversity and dissemination of the workshop.
Application Notification Procedures
All applicants will be notified of their status via email (whether accepted, waitlisted, or not accepted) on Friday, April 5, 2024.
In any given year, an individual may apply to a maximum of two NEH summer programs, but may attend only one NEH program per summer. Once they have accepted an offer to attend any NEH Summer Program (Landmarks, Institutes, or Seminars), participants may not accept an additional offer or withdraw in order to accept a different offer.
Participant Acceptance Deadline
Successful applicants must accept or decline their offer by Friday, April 19, 2024.
Once an applicant has accepted an offer to attend any NEH Summer Program (Seminar, Institute, or Landmark), they may not accept an additional offer or withdraw in order to accept a different offer.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT: Endowment programs do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or age. For further information, write to the Equal Opportunity Officer, National Endowment for the Humanities, 400 7th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024. TDD: 202-606-8282 (this is a special telephone device for the Deaf).