2010-2011 Sponsored by the League of Women Voters
of South Kingstown and Narragansett
Application Timetable: August 16, 2010 - April 29, 2011
Online Application Form
Previous Winners Overview
The education of every child should include civics education. An educated electorate is the cornerstone of our democracy and educating students, some of whom are about to vote for the first time, about the importance of their
responsibility as citizens and voters is crucial.To encourage teachers engaged in this endeavor and to honor exceptional work in this area, the League of Women
Voters of South Kingstown and Narragansett (LWVSK/N) is sponsoring the Susan B. Wilson Civic Education Merit Award with funding from the League of Women Voters Rhode Island Education Fund.
Criteria
The intention of this award is honor three individual Rhode Island educators or teams of educators whose teaching exhibits extraordinary ability and innovation, and fulfills one or more of the following criteria:
- Enriches students' understanding of their own civic rights and responsibilities;
- Encourages students' civic participation;
- Brings context and relevance to pivotal civic events—historic and/or current—affecting the United States on a national, regional, statewide, or local level;
- Promotes understanding and appreciation of individuals who play a role in aforementioned pivotal civic events.
Who May Apply
- Any individual educator or team of educators teaching in a Rhode Island school (6-12th Grade) is eligible to apply for this merit award on his/her/the groups own behalf.
- Any RI resident or RI group/organization may apply for this merit award on behalf of an educator or team of educators teaching in a Rhode Island school upon consent of that person or teaching team.
Description of Merit Award Process
Through a review of submitted on-line applications three individual Rhode Island teachers or team of teachers will be
selected to receive a financial merit award. Award recipients will be ranked in the following manner:
First Place: |
Grand Prize, $800.00 |
Second Place: |
Jury Prize, $500.00 |
Third Place: |
Honorable Mention, $200.00 |
Because this is a merit award in recognition for what a teacher has accomplished, the manner in which funds from this award are spent are left exclusively to the discretion of the recipients.
There will be three judges, one of whom will be a member of the LWVRI Board of Directors or its designee.
How To Apply
Format
The application consists of two parts:
- Applicant/Nominee Information
- Descriptive Narrative
The entire application must be submitted electronically via the online application form.Applicant/Nominee Information
The online form submission should include the following information:
- Name of individual or group submitting the application;
- Name of merit award nominee(s), job title(s), home mailing address(es), e-mail(s) and phone number(s);
- Name, address and phone number of nominee(s)'s school;
- Name of the individual to be the primary contact (designated contact) along with e-mail address and phone number.
Narrative Content
To allow the greatest flexibility in presenting important details, applicants must submit a descriptive narrative of the work relevant to the aforementioned
criteria. This work will be referred to as "the program." The narrative must be no more than 5 standard pages (but may be fewer) in length.
Some useful information to include in the narrative is listed below. It is not necessary or expected to address every
bullet point specifically. The purpose of this list is to help with the composition of the narrative so that the details will illustrate the relevance, distinctiveness and effectiveness of "the program."
- Description of the educator's career development and interest in civic education;
- Number and demographic description of students effected by "the program;"
- The goal or purpose of "the program;"
- How long "the program" been implemented and describe how it has evolved and improved;
- Description of how "the program's" effectiveness is monitored within a school year and/or from year-to-year;
- What information is gathered from monitoring "the program" and describe how this information helps to improve "the program;"
- Statistical/anecdotal information illustrating highlights of the program and/or distinctive nature of "the program;"
- Public recognition of the value of "the program" in the school's community—locally or wider in scope;
- What about "the program" is worth replicating in other schools and describe how viable such replication would be.
Application Submission Eligibility
All applications must be submitted on-line via the on-line application form. Applications received between August 16, 2010 and April 29, 2011 are eligible for the 2010-2011 term. Upon receipt of an application, the designated contact will
receive an automatic email notification. All RI educators and the individuals or groups who nominate them are encouraged to apply annually, although award recipients are not eligible to apply for the three (3) consecutive terms
following receipt of their merit prize.Award decisions will be announced in mid May 2011. An awards presentation ceremony will be held early in June at the
State House in Providence. The ceremony takes place in the Governor's Reception Room on the second floor at 4:30 PM.
Questions About Wilson Merit Award
To contact The League of Women Voters of South Kingstown/Narragansett about anything related to this award, email sknarr@lwvri.org and include a phone number.
Eligibility disclaimer:
1. Family members of LWVRI Education Fund Board of Directors, LWVRI Operating Board of Directors or LWVSK/N dues paying members are not eligible to receive this award.
2. Awarding of prizes will be at the discretion of the panel of judges, including that no prizes may be awarded.
About Susan B. Wilson
Susan B. Wilson, a founding member of the South Kingstown/Narragansett League of Women Voters, was a passionate proponent for education and civic engagement. In 1964 she helped organize the local chapter of the League and, when
the state switched from paper ballots to mechanical voting machines, she made sure voters knew how to use the new technology. She held workshops for adults in the local schools and was tireless in her work and commitment to voter
service and education. In naming this award in honor of Susan B. Wilson, the League of Women Voters of South Kingstown and Narragansett acknowledges the importance of her work for the League and for the values of voter
education and civic engagement, which she espoused.
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