Allison Oster
Public Relations Manager
(626) 815-4518
Keeping History Alive
K-12 Teachers Receive Nearly $50,000
December 19, 2007
AZUSA, Calif. –
On Sat., Jan. 26, 2008, at 10 a.m., $47,500 will be distributed to 74 Los Angeles County K-12 history and social science teachers at a reception at Azusa Pacific University. The recipients include 16 teachers from the Azusa and Glendora school districts.
With the support of The Ahmanson Foundation, the Bannerman Foundation, and the Wells Fargo Foundation, APU and the Historical Society of Southern California have joined to distribute the Keeping History Alive Grant. This is the fourth year that selected teachers will receive financial support for history education in their classrooms.
"Sadly, history education is being neglected in many public schools," said Michelle Herczog, Ph.D., consultant for history and social science in the Los Angeles County Office of Education. "Funding for enrichment activities, resources, and professional development for K-12 history teachers has been drastically cut. Keeping History Alive is an extraordinary initiative designed to strengthen history education and make a difference for our K-12 teachers of history and the enduring legacy they leave for future generations."
Of the grants received, 34 grants went to elementary school teachers, 31 to middle school teachers, and 9 to high school teachers. Public schools received 54 grants, parochial/parish schools received 16 grants, and private schools received 4 grants. Also, 45 of the grants will provide classroom resources, 23 grants will assist with field trip expenses, and 12 will support professional development.
"Azusa Pacific University is actively involved in, and committed to, assisting and strengthening K-12 History education in the public, private, and parochial schools of Los Angeles County," said Tom Andrews, Ph.D., research historian in APU's Special Collections. The goal is to put $200,000 in the hands of 250 K-12 teachers of history by the end of the program in 2008-09.
The 16 teachers from Azusa and Glendora schools receiving grants include the following:
- Karen Batista, 5th grade, Cullen Elementary
- Erin McGee, 5th grade, Cullen Elementary
- Jacquie Relph, 4th & 5th grade, Ellington Elementary
- Tiffaney Koontz, 5th grade, La Fetra Elementary
- Louise Battles, 4th & 5th grade, Mt. View Elementary
- Arti Patel, 1st grade, Sellers Elementary
- Kacy Welte, 2nd grade, Sellers Elementary
- Rachel Gray, 3rd-5th grade, Stanton Elementary
- Rebecca Valbuena, 3rd grade, Stanton Elementary
- Margaret Hubbard, 4th grade, Sutherland Elementary
- Terri Paccone, 1st grade, Sutherland Elementary
- Julie McGough, 5th grade, Victor Hodge Elementary
- Lynnette Holdridge, 6th grade, Goddard Middle School
- Pamela Edward, Glendora High
- Juliana Hardgrove, Glendora High
- Kelley Hoolihan, Glendora High
Featured in TIME magazine and ranked as one of the nation’s best by U.S.News & World Report and The Princeton Review, Azusa Pacific is a comprehensive, Christian, evangelical university, committed to God First and known for excellence in higher education. Azusa Pacific’s main campus lies just 26 miles northeast of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley, while its seven Southern California regional centers bring convenience and extend quality programming. The university offers more than 50 areas of undergraduate study, 23 master's degrees, and 7 doctorates to a total student population of more than 8,100.
