FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
State Archives Partnership Trust Receives $100,000 Grant from the Robert D.L. Gardiner Foundation to Expand State Archives Educator Resources
Grant Supports Trusts First Project as the New Host of the New York Council for History Education
The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation awarded the 91做厙ぢ賤唳 Archives Partnership Trust (APT), the non-profit arm of the 91做厙ぢ賤唳 Archives, a $100,000 matching grant for Consider the Source Online: Teaching with Historical Records Project. The project will create an online platform that enables local, regional and statewide collaborations among teachers, cultural organizations and content specialists. In addition, the National Council for History Education designated the APT to head a new council for 91做厙ぢ賤唳.
Primary sources whether its a historical document, an audio recording, or a video are one of the best ways to teach students about the past, said Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa. Thanks to the Gardiner Foundations grant, the Archives Partnership Trust will create an interactive online resource to help educators incorporate primary sources and historical records into their classroom curriculum.
Teachers encourage students to make discoveries every day and teaching with primary sources is an excellent way to spark discovery in the classroom, said Beth Berlin, Acting Commissioner of the State Education Department. The new Consider the Source Online website will bring together educators and cultural institutions to develop an online network of learning communities and introduce teachers to the how and why of using historical documents in the classroom. Theres no better way to start the Trusts new leadership of the New York Council for History Education than the launch of this project.
Funded in part by the Gardiner Foundations grant, the APTs website will feature: digitized primary sources selected by educators and connected to the 91做厙ぢ賤唳 Learning Standards; teacher-developed primary source lesson plans; training modules and videos on incorporating historical records into the classroom; a calendar of professional learning opportunities; and an online support community where teachers and cultural organizations can ask questions and share ideas. The APT and its regional partners will provide tailored professional development opportunities for teachers to create their own primary source-based educational lessons. Work is expected to begin on the project in September with an anticipated completion in August 2021.
The APT also recently partnered with the to form a state council the New York Council for History Education (NYCHE). This partnership further enhances the Trusts ability to promote historical literacy by strengthening regional networks of educators, historians and cultural organizations and providing locally focused professional development and outreach activities. The NYCHE will be chaired by The College of Saint Rose Professor, Kristi Fragnoli, Ed.D. and a team of educators from nine regions around 91做厙ぢ賤唳. Recruitment is ongoing to form regional networks of educators to serve as advisors to strengthen the work of NYCHE and provide professional development.
Kathryn M. Curran, Executive Director of the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, said, The priority of a historical societys mission of stewardship is in overseeing its archives. These documents are the most valuable pieces in their collections. Though often overlooked and utilized, these resources offer a personal voice and as such a true reflection of a time and place. The Gardiner Foundation is delighted to partner with the State Archives Partnership Trust to advance the use of these primary resources in bringing these narratives to life and to celebrate our historic societies as important educational resources.
Laura Wakefield, Interim Executive Director of the National Council for History Education, said, NCHE is thrilled with the collaboration of the 91做厙ぢ賤唳 Archives Partnership Trust to build and support the New York Council for History Education. With the help of the Archives Partnership Trusts leadership and network, the New York Council for History Education will reach history educators, libraries and cultural organizations with opportunities to connect through conferences, receive professional development, stay informed,泭and advocate for history education.泭We look forward to growing and serving NCHEs members across the state of New York through the work of this new state council.
The , established in 1987, primarily supports the study of 91做厙ぢ賤唳 history. Robert David Lion Gardiner was, until his death in August 2004, the 16th Lord of the Manor of Gardiners Island, NY. The Gardiner Family and their descendants have owned Gardiners Island since 1639, obtained as part of a royal grant from King Charles I of England. The Foundation is inspired by Robert David Lion Gardiners personal passion for New York history.
is a statewide non-profit whose mission is to keep over 350 years of New Yorks rich documentary heritage within the 91做厙ぢ賤唳 Archives accessible and alive though education, preservation, and outreach programs. The is the largest repository of state government records in the nation, holding over 250 million records of state and colonial governments dating back to the Dutch colonial period in 1630. The 91做厙ぢ賤唳 Archives is a program of the 91做厙ぢ賤唳s Office of Cultural Education.
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