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Programs and Grants

Programs

 
Traings and Seminars for Educators
 

The Amistad mandate requires the necessity for extensive professional development opportunities for teachers, in partnership with the presentation of the curriculum.  Over the last several years, the Amistad Commission has offered continuous professional development opportunities and trainings for Teachers in their respective districts as well as conferences, civic, community, and public events. The Amistad Commission will extend its offerings of face to face professional development opportunities for Educators throughout the state.  It is our desire to develop extensive Elementary/ Secondary and Higher Education partnerships that will serve to underscore this effort and provide both a forum and a brain trust for educational conferences. Institutional professional development offerings for the Amistad Commission center around the continuation and expansion of the week long residential Summer Curriculum Institute for Educators.  We are aware that majority of history and social science instructors, as well as K-8 teachers,  have never taken related courses and are not trained or sufficiently knowledgeable to teach African American history.
 
The Amistad Summer Institutes align with curriculum development activities for Educators and offer Educators the opportunity to receive professional development and/or graduate credit hours to enhance their knowledge and ability in teaching African American history.  Educators are provided with primary and secondary materials, lesson plans, curriculum development methodology and pedagogy, as well as instructional notes. It will be designed as a unique resource for K- 12 Educators throughout the state, where they can further develop primary/secondary/higher education partnerships with Universities and colleges History department professors. The Amistad Commission will offer two  (2) summer opportunities for educators in the summer of 2009 as in previous summers: the Drew University Consortium Course for graduate credit and the Montclair University Summer Curriculum Institute for professional development credit and a stipend. Stay tuned for dates and locations.

2009 Montclair Summer Institute Word Document

2009 Montclair Summer Institute PDF Document
 

 


Grants
 

THE AMISTAD EXEMPLARY PRACTICES GRANT
 

To ensure that New Jersey teachers are supported to effectively teach  the revised social studies core curriculum content standards via the Amistad curriculum, and to provide funding and programmatic assistance to teachers we offer the Amistad Annual Exemplary Awards.  Up to 10 recipients are selected each year to receive the $5000 grant to enhance their programmatic initiatives in the classroom.  The New Jersey Amistad Commission will identify and catalog EMPLARY PRACTICES in schools across the state that incorporate and infuse African American history into the school’s curriculum and lesson delivery.  The purpose of this program is to recognize and celebrate the excellence achieved by New Jersey's public schools and to make information available describing designated exemplary practices readily accessible to educators throughout the state.  Information describing the Amistad Commission’s EXEMPLARY PRACTICES is available to all schools and the public.

2009-2010 Exemplary Practices Word Document

2009-2010 Exemplary Practices PDF Document
 
Exemplary practices are those exemplary and/or innovative strategies that (1) infuse African-American history into the school’s curriculum; (2) promote high student achievement; (3) address specific educational needs of students and the Core Curriculum Content Standards; (4) yield documented results meeting set objectives, and (5) can be replicated.  Any New Jersey teacher, group of teachers, or school is eligible to participate.  The competition is open to public schools serving students in pre-kindergarten to grade 12.  The practice must have been in place for a minimum of one year prior to submission.  Only one application per applicant may be submitted.  Commercially developed practices will not be considered.  In addition practices that are solely implemented around black history month will not be considered.   There is no limit to the number of teachers within a school or district that may propose a practice for consideration. The 2009-2010 Grant applications are due to the Commission in March of 2009. Notification of their award is announced to the semi-finalists in May, and recognized at our annual ceremony in June 2009.