Reminders and Updates

Montana History Teacher of the Year Award

March 29--THIS FRIDAY--is the deadline for nominating someone for the Montana History Teacher of the Year Award. Luckily, completing the nomination takes under two minutes. To nominate a 4^th-6^th grade Montana History Teacher, email Norma Ashby at ashby7@q.com.  Please include the following information:

* Your name* Your email* Nominee’s name* Nominee’s email* Grade level* School Name* School  address* School phone number

High School Teachers: Apply to Become an MHS Teacher Leader in History

If you are a high school teacher interested in helping improve history education in your schools, districts, and regions (particularly the teaching of Montana history), we hope you'll consider applying to become a Montana Historical Society Teacher Leader in History. Learn more about the program and the application process here or email me with questions.

Crossing Disciplines Workshops

The winner and his or her class will be honored at a ceremony in the State Capitol on Friday, Nov. 8, Statehood Day and will receive a plaque and $4,000 toward library and classroom materials, field trips and speakers.

 There's still time to join Jim Schulz for "Crossing Disciplines: Social Studies and the Common Core" in Deer Lodge (April 9), Missoula (April 10), or Dillon (April 11.) The Missoula and Dillon workshops have plenty of registrants (though there's still some room in each); we may have to cancel the Deer Lodge workshop if more people don't sign up, so don't delay.

Montana Museum Act of 2020

SB 338, which will implement a 1% accommodations tax to provide funding for Montana Heritage Center renovation and expansion of the Montana Historical Society over 5 years, create a museums/historic sites infrastructure competitive grant program of over $2 million per year, and provide funding for the Daly Mansion and Moss Mansion among other things passed out to the Senate Finance and Claims Committee on a vote of 10-9. It now heads to the Senate floor and then onto the House. You can contact your representatives about this or any bill using this easy online form. Not sure who represents you? Find out here.

Montana History in 9 MORE Easy Lessons 

This nine-part lecture series starts next Wednesday, April 3, with Jessica Bush talking about pre-contact trade. Last year, for our first edition of 9 Easy Lessons, Jessica gave an overview of pre-contact Montana and it was eye-opening. You can find that talk on YouTube if you want to get prepped for the upcoming series (and, after watching you can take the quiz for OPI renewal units). Just as we did last year, we'll once again be live-streaming the lectures (and then posting them on YouTube) for folks who can't make the talks in Helena. And we'll be offering a mechanism to receive renewal units too.