National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) First-Timer Scholarship Recipients
At the 2012 NCSS Conference in Seattle, "Opening Windows to the World," the National Resource Centers in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies - Canadian Studies Center, Center for Global Studies, East Asia Center, Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, Middle East Center, South Asia Center, and Southeast Asia Center - awarded five fellowships first-time attendees to acknowledge and support their interest in integrating international content into their curriculum. Please join us in congratulating the following awardees:
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Eric Stamm Boyer
10th and 12th grade, Bremerton High School
Bremerton, WA
World history as a construct is rooted in the idea that we as humans are all part of something bigger, something that unites the human experience and emboldens the human construct. Despite history's many tales of difference and conflict, a new tale of history's power to unite and confide can be realized and implemented, and it is my hope as a young history educator to impart these notions on the next generation of learners.
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Justi Echeles
9th - 12th grade, Portland Public Schools
Portland, OR
I am interested in integrating international content into my classroom because of our current climate of globalization, which includes everything from economics to culture, climate to entertainment, and global politics to cyber-communications. Students will be well-served to recognize and partake in how connected we all are.
Conference Reflection
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Maggie Alice Fish
6th and 7th grade, McClure Middle School
Seattle, WA
I believe that we are all global citizens now, and students need to be able to understand how our world with its myriad of cultures and places impacts all of our lives on a daily basis. Understanding different cultures and the historical events that shaped them will make the students of today capable of making changes to ensure that they can help our world be a better place for all of us tomorrow.
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Wendy Sue Fitzhenry
9th - 12th grade, Trinity Lutheran School
Bend, OR
I believe that no subject within the realm of social sciences can be taught in a vacuum. Every topic should be considered in light of international relations and this global world we live in. I'm excited to gather new skills and information at the NCSS conference to pass on to my current and future students.
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Jeff Taylor
9th - 12th grade, Cleveland High School
Seattle, WA
I grew up without means or agency. For me the world was a very small, often scary, place. My interest in International Studies is for the benefit of my students. I want them to see the world as a big place; full of opportunities. I want them to think and aspire on a global level.
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Conference Reflection
by Justi Echeles, Portland OR
The conference was a revelation. The speakers, workshops, presentations, exhibits, people, and most of all the conversation, were exhilarating. As a new teacher, I focused on technology and Common Core workshops, but I was particularly moved by the conference speakers who spoke on global citizenship, issues, and perspectives.
Keynote speaker Rick Steves reminded me that travel is a political act and that travellers are ambassadors of peace and understanding. I found his talk to be crucial for Americans to recognize how others perceive us, and how valuable travel is to gaining perspective on the world and ourselves. The Naturalization Ceremony and Citizenship Panel further emphasized global connections and how U.S. citizenship is truly an international experience. Finally, Sheryl WuDunn’s “Half The Sky” program taught me to take care not to teach about women as merely extension activities, but to integrate women’s issues at the center of any global studies curriculum because women are at the core of solutions to most global initiatives involving the environment, economy, health, education, and human rights.