Eligibility/How to Apply

"I can honestly say that the group of educators chosen as summer scholars are some of the warmest and most intelligent people I have met." --2015 Summer Scholar

Am I eligible to apply to Forever Wild?

Forever Wild seeks a diverse group of full and part-time educators from a variety of humanities disciplines, including teachers and librarians in public, charter, independent and religiously affiliated schools, as well as home-schooling parents. Other K-12 school-system personnel such as administrators, substitute teachers, and curriculum developers, are also eligible to participate.

Teachers at schools in the United States or its territorial possessions or Americans teaching in foreign schools where at least 50 percent of the students are American nationals are eligible for this program. Applicants must be United States citizens, residents of U. S. jurisdictions, or foreign nationals who have been residing in the United States or its territories for at least the three years immediately preceding the application deadline. Foreign nationals teaching abroad at non-U. S. chartered institutions are not eligible to apply.

Individuals may not apply to an NEH workshop under the following circumstances:

• If the workshop is being led by a family member.

• If the individual is employed by the sponsor institution.

• If the workshop director is someone with whom the individual has previously studied.

While the content focus might be more appropriate to the middle and high school student, all eligible K-12 educators are invited to apply. To foster creative discussions related to pedagogical approaches, we aim to create a cross-discipline and mixed grade-level cohort.

To be considered eligible, applicants must submit a complete application. This includes an NEH cover sheet and additional materials described below under "How do I apply?"

How much is the stipend and what does it cover?

The NEH $1200 stipend will defray expenses associated with your participation in the Forever Wild program, such as travel and books. All participants will receive their stipend at the end of the week’s program, less $375 for the week’s all-inclusive room and board at Camp Huntington and Sunday evening's opening event. Participants are responsible for reserving/paying for their own lodging Sunday night at the Cortland Country Inn and Suites (607-753-8300) and the SUNY Cortland shuttle from the Syracuse Hancock International Airport to Cortland (more details to follow). 

May I earn graduate credit?

SUNY Cortland’s Center for Educational Exchange will provide participants with certificates attesting to professional development hours completed during this Landmarks workshop. Participants may submit these certificates to their school districts in support of their efforts to earn professional development hours. Participants may earn 3.0 graduate credits from SUNY Cortland by enrolling as a “non-matriculated” student in HIS 529 TP: Gilded Age & Progressive Era. Tuition and fees are $1,612.85 for NY residents and $3,058.85 for non-NY residents.

How do I apply?

All applicants are invited to submit materials postmarked before the March 1, 2019 deadline. Please consult the NEH Eligibility statement and read the full NEH Application Information and Instructions document to learn about selection criteria (including reserved spots for new teachers), stipend stipulations, and application procedures. All applicants will be notified on March 29, 2019.

Applications must include the following:

1. A completed NEH application cover sheet. (You will submit this cover sheet on-line directly to NEH.  Print a copy of your completed cover sheet and submit it with the rest of your application to the SUNY Cortland address below). 
2. Resume or biographical statement detailing your educational qualifications and professional experience.
3. A one-page double spaced essay describing your interest in Forever Wild, special skills and experiences that would contribute to the workshop, and a description of how you expect this experience would enhance your teaching or school service.
4. In addition to the application materials listed above, Forever Wild requires a letter of recommendation from your school principal, department head, district administrator or home-schooling association president as appropriate.  Letters of recommendation should be included in your application packet. Please ask your referee to sign across the seal on the back of the envelope containing the letter.

One copy of your completed application (cover sheet, resume, essay, letter of reference) should be mailed to:

Gonda Gebhardt
History Department
SUNY Cortland
PO Box 2000
Cortland, NY 13045

ATTN: NEH Forever Wild