Pinon Elementary School GATE teacher Cristin Haake, left, and Los Alamos High School English teacher Lori Thompson have been selected to participate in a NEH Summer Institute in July. Courtesy/LAPS
LAPS News:
Two Los Alamos Public Schools (LAPS) teachers have been accepted and received an endowment to participate in a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Summer Institute in July.
Pinon Elementary School GATE teacher Cristin Haake and Los Alamos High School English teacher Lori Thompson are among only 25 applicants selected to take part in “The Ancient Olympics and Daily Life in Ancient Olympia: A Hands-On History” July 8-19 at Monmouth College in Monmouth, IL.
The selection committee chose Haake and Thompson “as one[s] whom they perceived not only as particularly strong, but also as a valuable contributor[s] to an interesting mix of participants.”
“We are super excited to be selected for this workshop and are looking forward to learning more about ancient Olympic Games, especially with the Summer Olympics happening at the same time,” Haake said.
According to the NEH website, those selected for the workshop will learn about ancient Olympic Games and the local life going on around those games. “The course will delve into scholarly historical research via original literary sources, material remains, and secondary analysis from contemporary scholars. Just as importantly, this institute will help participants to understand the Games and ancient Mediterranean life from a hands-on history perspective, teaching participants how to do the Olympic events in the ancient style, to carry out the work of artisans and craftspeople of the time, and to experience the materiality of ancient life.”
Thompson said she is looking forward to applying what she learns to her Sports Lit classes saying, “We are privileged to collaborate with teachers from all over the U.S. to create an engaging unit on the Olympics to bring back to our classes in Los Alamos.”
The Project Director(s) are Bob Holschuh Simmons and Nathalie Roy. Lecturers and visiting faculty include Micheal Posey, Stephanie Baugh, Kirsten Day, Danielle Fatkin, Eric Engstrom, Daniel Leon, Rick Sayre, Brad Sturgeon, Craig Vivian and Janis Wunderlich.