Funding for a Museum-Educator Partnership Project

The Museums Association of Montana in partnership with the Library of Congress will be providing grants to 12 Museum/Educator partnerships for place-based projects that link Montana primary sources, Montana places, the Montana classic A River Runs through It, by Norman Maclean, and the new memoir Home Waters: A Chronicle of Family and a River, by Norman Maclean’s son John.

To participate, you must apply with a local museum. Twelve museum-educator pairs will be offered $750 stipends, and each team will have the authority to spend those funds in a method they deem most suitable for their project.

See below for more details.

PRIORITIES/PROJECT GOALS

• Connect the new piece of acclaimed literature Home Waters (and a well-known familial companion A River Runs through It) with primary sources that can be analyzed and studied by students or community members to provide them with a deeper understanding of the books.
• Support research into, and an understanding of, the books Home Waters and A River Runs through It and how they play a role in understanding key places, in Montana and elsewhere.
• Provide explicit Library of Congress training for participants (teachers and museum staff) about searching the deeper collections of the Library of Congress (as well as other archives) and how resources in the collections can expand an understanding of places that appear in literature and history and provide connections to state and national standards in multiple disciplines.
• Provide educators and local museum partners with an opportunity to connect, partner in an inquiry process, and develop a plan for how to use local museum primary and secondary sources in concert/partnership with schools to embed the study of place and heritage in the classroom. This project allows for an avenue not only to foster partnerships using primary sources and literature, but to build sustained relationships for ongoing collaboration.
• Share the mission of the project through virtual communication and presentations with a wider audience including the American Association of State and Local History, the National Council for Social Studies, National Council of Teachers of English, and other educational entities as well as the learning cohorts in participating school districts and curriculum specialists in the state of Montana.

CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

1. All museums must be 501c3 Non-profit organizations in good standing.
2. All participant teams must be made up of one non-profit museum and a K-12 educator.
3. All participants must be willing and able to attend all six Web Meetings.
4. All participants must commit to completing a measurable project utilizing the skills and resources identified through the Home Waters Project.

AWARDS SCHEDULE

Applications will be reviewed and prioritized by a selection committee. Selections will be made and approved partnerships notified by August 1, 2021.

APPLICATION will be available by contacting Deb Mitchell, Executive Director, Museums Association of Montana, 406-444-4789 or dmitchell@mt.gov

Application Deadline: July 15, 2021

Earlier submission is recommended.