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The Joint Committee on the Classics in American Education invites submissions for the 2024 SCS Awards for Excellence in Teaching at the K-12 Level. Thanks to a very generous gift to the Society’s Gatekeeper to Gateway Campaign for the Future of Classics from Daniel and Joanna Rose, the amounts to be awarded have been increased substantially. Up to two winners will receive a cash prize of $500, airfare to either the SCS Annual meeting in January 2025, the 2025 ACL Institute or, the CAC 2025 meeting, and two nights’ accommodation at the corresponding convention hotel. In addition, each winner’s institution will receive $200 to purchase educational resources selected by the winner. The winners will be honored at both the SCS and ACL, and they may select the meeting at which they wish to receive the award. The deadline for the receipt of complete forms is November 1, 2024.

See the list of previous winners of this award here.

Eligibility

  • Teachers, full- or part-time, of grades K-12, in schools in the United States and Canada who at the time of the application teach at least one class of Latin, Greek, or classics at the K-12 level, and have taught for a minimum of five years, are eligible.
  • Membership in the SCS is not required.
  • No previous winner of this award is eligible to apply for it a second time.
  • Candidates will be eligible for consideration for two consecutive years and unsuccessful dossiers may be revised and resubmitted again five years after the first submission.

Process of Application or Nomination

The submission process is now completed via an online system (the link is below). Please read all the information below before opening the online form.

This process may be initiated by the candidate or by a nominator. The SCS encourages both applications and nominations, with a view to recognizing as many deserving teachers as possible.

Nominations are provided by a colleague, administrator, former student or any SCS member who is thoroughly familiar with the teacher's work. If you are nominating someone for this award, please enter the online system and select the “Nomination” category on the Awards for Excellence in Teaching at the K-12 Level form.

Applications are self-nominations and any eligible teacher may apply for this award (see above for eligibility). If you are applying for this award, please enter the online system and select the “Application (self-nomination)” category on the Awards for Excellence in Teaching at the K-12 Level form.

What you need to fill out the online form

  • Nominators must provide information about themselves and the candidate they are nominating (name, email, and school or institution); Applicants (self-nominating candidates) must provide the same information about themselves and their recommender.
  • Nominators and applicants must provide the candidate’s statement explaining achievements in terms of vision, strategies, and methods. The statement can be written by either the candidate or the nominator.
  • Nominators and applicants must provide the candidate’s current CV.
  • Nominators are asked to upload a letter of recommendation. The letter of recommendation can come from someone other than the nominator. Applicants are asked for the name, title and institution, and email address of their recommender. When the application is submitted, the recommender will be sent an automatic email with instructions on uploading the letter.
    • The letter of recommendation should come from a colleague, administrator, former student or any SCS member who is thoroughly familiar with the teacher's work. The letter should include the candidate's name, school, and email address, as well as the recommender's title, email and telephone number. The letter should indicate how the candidate meets the criteria of the award, as described below. There is a limit of three pages, Times New Roman font (size 12), PDF format, and a maximum file size of 25MB are required. (Again, the letter of recommendation can come from someone other than the nominator.)
  • See below (scroll down) for additional suggestions for those writing candidate statements and letters of recommendation.

The deadline for the receipt of complete forms is November 1, 2024.

To apply, please submit a nomination or an application through our award, fellowship, and grant application system: apply.classicalstudies.org. The form will open for submissions two to three months before the deadline.

Selection Process

Award winners are selected by a subcommittee of the Joint Committee on the Classics in American Education, whose membership is selected equally from both the SCS and the American Classical League. Previous winners are also included on the selection committee. Questions about the competition may be directed to the Executive Director (xd@classicalstudies.org). Every effort will be made to inform winners in a timely manner to allow for travel arrangements.

Additional Guidelines

The key to a successful submission is detailed information about the candidate's teaching practices and results. Because all candidates are usually highly qualified, letters and statements must move far beyond general affirmations that the candidate is an excellent teacher and provide demonstrable results. Here are some helpful tips for those writing candidate statements and letters of recommendation.

Share that the candidate demonstrates:

  • a commitment in their classroom to diversity, equity, and inclusion, broadly defined
  • evidence of improved student learning
  • innovative and creative classroom activity, including forms of assessment that engage a broad spectrum of learning abilities
  • success, size, and growth of the classics program and/or community outreach relative to conditions in the candidate’s district
  • evidence of creating interest in classical languages and Greek or Roman culture
  • student successes and recognitions, broadly defined
  • advancement of a significant percentage of students to the next level of study
  • professional service and professional development, including obstacles overcome, workshops (both taken and given), papers presented, offices held, awards received, etc.