Congressman Cohen Announces Picturing America Award Recipients in the 9th District
“Picturing America is a unique program that provides students with a gateway to the entire universe of the humanities,” said Congressman Cohen. “By bringing great art into public and private schools, libraries and communities like ours, this program offers Americans of all ages the opportunity to learn about our history in a fresh and engaging way.”
“America has a remarkable story, filled with riveting chapters and extraordinary heroes. Picturing America brings this story to life through forty compelling images,” said NEH Chairman Bruce Cole. “The Endowment is delighted that so many students and citizens across the nation will gain a deeper understanding of America’s history and culture through this wonderful education resource.”
“The Picturing America grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities has truly enriched our lives,” said Katrine Watkins, Librarian at Shaler Area Intermediate School in Glenshaw, Pennsylvania. “Valuable as the Picturing America posters are to teaching our curriculum, however, perhaps their greatest worth is their limitless potential to teach us all—students, staff, and parents—about ourselves.”
In the 9th District, there were 73 institutions selected as Picturing America award recipients. Over 56,000 schools and public libraries across the country are currently participating in the program. Awardees receive forty large, high-quality reproductions of great American art and a comprehensive teachers resource book to assist educators using the works of art in core subjects. Additional education resources are also available through the Picturing America Web site (www.picturingAmerica.neh.gov).
In addition to schools and libraries, through an interagency agreement, NEH and the Administration for Children and Families within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has made Picturing America available to the 20,000 Head Start centers around the nation and here in the 9th District. This partnership provides for the development of materials to supplement Picturing America and ensure that the program will enhance early childhood development and family literacy.
Picturing America is distributed by the NEH in cooperation with the American Library Association (ALA). For information about the ALA, please visit www.ala.org.
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Contact:
Marilyn Dillihay, Press Secretary, 202-225-3265
Charlie Gerber, Communications Assistant, 202-225-3265
About Picturing America
Public, private, parochial, and charter and home school consortia (K-12), as well as public libraries in the US and its territories, were eligible to receive Picturing America materials.
Picturing America comes with a comprehensive package of materials that includes:
- Forty large, high-quality color reproductions of the selected masterpieces (24” x 36”)
- A comprehensive teachers resource book providing a wide range of ideas and background information to support educators using the works of art in core subject areas
- Additional resources and lesson plans available through the Picturing America Web site: www.PicturingAmerica.neh.gov.
NEH will provide further programming opportunities for Picturing America recipients by offering professional development workshops in summer 2009 hosted by institutions such as museums and historical societies. This grant opportunity is designed to help teachers and librarians form connections with Picturing America artworks and courses in the core curriculum. Interested educators will be able to apply in spring 2009.
About the National Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent grant-making agency of the United States government dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The study of the humanities — history, literature, philosophy, and the arts — helps us explore what it means to be human. The humanities enable us to understand the world and our place in it.
Because “democracy demands wisdom,” NEH serves and strengthens our Republic through promoting excellence in the humanities and conveying the lessons of history to all Americans. Through its programs, NEH provides opportunities for all citizens to embrace the humanities and benefit from their wisdom. For more information about NEH, visit www.neh.gov.