BRI Scholarship Recipient Expresses Gratitude For Award

<p><em>By Marianne Evans</em></p>

<p>When I started teaching 5th grade, I was excited to share my love of learning and inspire my students to find their passions. I based my curriculum on social studies topics, integrating literacy, math, and science into the study of American History.</p>

<p>I spent my summers traveling to teaching workshops throughout the country and learning about our country&#8217;s early history. I then applied what I had learned in the classroom. Throughout the years, my students reenacted the Boston Tea Party meeting, the Boston Massacre trial, and the soldier training from Valley Forge. They wrote about whether they would have dumped the tea in Boston Harbor and why Jamestown failed.</p>

<p>I searched for lessons on the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independence. The Bill of Rights Institute became a major source of materials for my lessons and pedagogy. I attended some of their training and workshops to better understand our liberties and foundational principles.</p>

<p>Last month, I attended the National Council of Social Studies conference in Boston because the Bill of Rights Institute provided me with a scholarship that paid for my attendance and provided me with a stipend to use for travel.</p>

<p>Because I received the Colletti Scholarship, I could gather with social studies colleagues from around the country and learn about the resources available to teachers. I attended amazing sessions that provided me with inspirational content and pedagogy to apply in my classroom.</p>

<p>Educators from the Bill of Rights Institute led sessions that utilized card games to engage students in learning about historical events and ideological differences between the founders. BRI also hosted a wonderful breakfast with a speaker who discussed the legacies of the Boston Tea Party.</p>

<p>I also participated in a field trip sponsored by the conference to explore five sights associated with the Siege of Boston. This was an amazing tour! Every sight offered an expert who discussed the site’s significance in the siege. Thanks to the Bill of Rights Institute for providing me with the Gary Colletti Scholarship. This conference was one of the highlights of my history education. I am so excited to share what I have learned with my students and fellow educators.</p>

<p><em>Marianne Evans is a social studies and U.S. History teacher, and is a school counselor at Uintah High School in Vernal, UT. She is also a recipient of the Bill of Rights Institute&#8217;s Gary Colletti Conference Scholarship.</em></p>