Photo Secretary Paige Visits Academy of American Studies High School, Announces Teaching American History Grants

LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y. -- Saying that American history is one of the crucial subjects our children need to master, U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today announced that 114 school districts in 38 states will receive $98.5 million in Teaching American History grants. Paige also announced a new cooperative venture with The History Channel to help make students more aware of the importance of our civic holidays.

Paige made the announcement during a visit to the Academy of American Studies in Long Island City, where he joined New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein and The History Channel Executive Vice President and General Manager Dan Davids.

The Teaching American History grant program supports three-year projects to improve teachers' knowledge, understanding and appreciation for American history through intensive, ongoing professional development. Projects must be in partnership with organizations that have extensive knowledge of American history, including libraries, museums, nonprofit history or humanities organizations, and higher education institutions.

"Teaching American History grants are a powerful tool for teachers," Secretary Paige said. "For three years, they link together our nation's history teachers with professional historians and other experts. We do this because teachers who have a deep and vast knowledge of their subject are better able to inspire their students, to fully engage their minds and to imbue them with a lifelong taste for learning."

School districts in the following states will receive Teaching American History grants: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

A complete list of the grant recipients follows at the end of this release.

Paige also announced that the Department of Education has teamed up with The History Channel on a series of programs to educate Americans about the meaning behind several national holidays, including Veterans Day, Martin Luther King Jr., Day and Labor Day. The first program will air in November.

"We are proud to partner with The History Channel to promote this entertaining series on our civic holidays and to bring history alive for millions of people," Secretary Paige said. "We want all of our students to understand that our holidays are more than a day off from school. As this series will clearly show, our holidays offer a chance to look at the values that inspired our nation -- values like honesty, hard work, equal justice for all, dedication, compassion, concern for others and sacrifice."

More information about Teaching American History grants is available at http://www.ed.gov/programs/teachinghistory/index.html.

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TEACHING AMERICAN HISTORY GRANTS

U.S. Department of Education
September 22, 2003

STATE--RECIPIENT--AMOUNT
AL--Tuscaloosa City Board of Education, $826,472
AL--Hale County Board of Education, $784,659
AZ--Maricopa County Superintendent of Schools --Consortium, $1,000,000
AZ--Creighton School District No. 14, $991,395
CA--Los Angeles Unified School District, $1,897,693
CA--El Monte Union High School District, $777,240
CA--Barstow Unified School District, $352,326
CA--Fresno Unified School District, $987,511
CA--San Diego County Office of Education, $1,680,298
CA--Salinas Union High School District, $813,559
CA--Elk Grove Unified School District, $999,753
CA--Napa Valley Unified School District, $912,000
CA--Northern Humboldt Union High School District, $740,131
CA--Long Beach Unified School District, $936,910
CA--Sacramento City Unified School District, $940,000
CA--San Bernardino County Office of Education, $974,518
CA--Lawndale Elementary School District, $923,201
CA--East Side Union High School District, $662,181
CA--Garden Grove Unified School District, $959,014
CA--Del Norte County Unified School District, $923,322
CA--Compton Unified School District, $967,996
CO--Durango School District 9-R, $535,018
CT--New Haven Public Schools, $925,990
CT--Danbury Board of Education, $915,340
CT--Bridgeport Public Schools, $814,582
DE--Red Clay Consolidated School District, $954,639
FL--Volusia County School District, $791,756
FL--Panhandle Area Educational Consortium, $767,715
GA--Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools, $990,448
GA--Henry County Board of Education, $984,115
IA--Washington Community School District, $938,860
IA--Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency, $845,970
IA--Area Education Agency #267, $718,423
ID--Vallivue School District 139, $865,788
ID--Joint School District #241 Grangeville, $889,649
IL--Evanston Township High School, $962,038
IL--Urbana School District #116, $717,235
IN--University School Corporation/Indiana Academy, $686,871
KS--Unified School District 480, $570,793
KS--South Central Kansas Education Service Center, $740,310
KS--Parsons District Schools USD 503, $754,543
KY--Harlan Independent School District, $983,960
KY--Green River Regional Educational Cooperative, $990,827
KY--Ballard County Board of Education, $976,666
LA--Lafayette Parish Public Schools, $999,829
LA--New Orleans Public Schools, $995,403
MA--Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools, $864,388
MA--Salem Public Schools, $877,472
MD--Wicomico County Board of Education, $814,582
MD--Harford County Public Schools, $727,935
MD--Kent County Public Schools, $951,909
ME--Maine School Administrative District #11, $953,166
MI--Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, $807,186
MI--Kalamazoo RESA, $986,135
MI--Delta-Schoolcraft Intermediate School District, $969,746
MI--Battle Creek Public Schools, $927,999
MO--St. Louis Public Schools, $687,637
MO--Cooperating School Districts, $1,000,000
MO--Seneca R-VII, $999,998
MS--Jackson Public School District, $905,528
NC--Roanoke Rapids Graded School District, $992,416
NC--Davidson County Board of Education, $822,614
NC--Buncombe County Schools, $907,619
NE--Omaha Public Schools, $950,345
NJ--North Plainfield Borough School District, $839,808
NY--NYC Department of Education Region 7, $839,808
NY--NYC Department of Education Region 2, $990,000
NY--NYC Department of Education Region 7, $993,770
NY--Salmon River Center School District, $736,731
NY--NYC Dept of Ed., Community School District 23, $874,897
NY--NYC Department of Education-citywide, $1,931,284
OH--Mahoning County Educational Service Center, $790,115
OH--Hamilton City School District, $731,631
OH--Montgomery County Education Service Center, $664,690
OK--El Reno Public Schools, $378,025
OK--Osage County Interlocal Cooperative, $579,787
OK--Poteau Independent School District, I-29, $468,055
OR--Southern Oregon Education Service District, $935,945
PA--Girard School District, $993,999
PA--Ridgway Area School District, $985,190
PA--Greencastle Antrim School District, $725,545
PA--The School District of Philadelphia, $847,450
SC--Sumter County School District Two, $719,784
SC--Winthrop Olde English Consortium, $478,502
SC--District One Schools, Spartanburg County, $287,916
TN--Loudon County Schools, $964,297
TN--Wilson County School System, $763,617
TX--Region 16 Education Service Center, $965,443
TX--La Joya Independent School District, $988,688
TX--Education Service Center, Region 2, $965,650
TX--Education Service Center, Region 12, $924,714
TX--Education Service Center, Region 13, $965,946
TX--Region I Education Service Center, $960,582
TX--Hays Consolidated Independent School District, $760,224
TX--Alpine Independent School District, $878,867
TX--Houston Independent School District, $999,809
UT--Jordan School District, $913,198
UT--Southeast Education Service Center, $260,158
VA--Montgomery County Public Schools, $571,705
VA--Fauquier County Public Schools, $944,153
VA--Hampton City Schools, $919,944
VA--Alexandria City Public Schools, $949,295
VA--Chesterfield County Public Schools, $675,694
VA--Stafford County Public Schools, $999,456
VA--Augusta County Public Schools, $692,942
VA--Portsmouth City Public Schools, $975,418
VA--Russell County Schools, $654,079
VA--Rockbridge County Public Schools, $574,126
VT--Addison Rutland Supervisory Union SU 04, $825,000
WA--Thorp School District #400, $899,964
WA--North Central Educational Service District, $742,857
WI--Cooperative Educational Service Agency 6, $762,857
WI--Cooperative Educational Service Agency 2, $855,463
WV--Upshur County Schools, $845,908

TOTAL -- $98,506,608

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