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News Release
June 4, 2008

480 Philadelphia Schools to Receive NEH's Picturing America Through Public School District and Archdiocese

Today (June 3, 2008) at Independence National Historical Park, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) will announce that 262 schools in the School District of Philadelphia as well as 218 schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia will receive Picturing America. Picturing America is a free initiative helping to teach American history and culture by bringing some of the country's great art directly to classrooms and libraries.

"The Endowment believes that Picturing America should be in every school and public library in the United States. As a result of our first round of applications, over 26,000 schools and public libraries across the country will have the chance to view and learn from this collection in their own communities," said Bruce Cole, Chairman of the NEH. "Through the strong support of the Philadelphia community, I'm pleased to announce that students and teachers at 480 schools in the School District and Archdiocese of Philadelphia will benefit from this wonderful learning resource."

"The Picturing America program that has been awarded to nearly 500 schools in Philadelphia will surely serve as an inspiration to uphold the precious ideals of our democracy and our unique cultural heritage," said Governor Edward Rendell. "The tools that this program is giving our talented educators to illuminate our history through American art will enlighten our young citizens for generations to come."

"One of our educational priorities in Philadelphia is that every student has exposure to the arts as an integral part of a well-rounded education," said Sandra Dungee Glenn, Chairwoman of the Philadelphia School Reform Commission. "Picturing America provides an opportunity to do that in a creative way that may cross-cut the curriculum even as it gives teachers and students a very special lens through which to consider American society, institutions, and values."

Of the over 1,500 pilot schools currently participating in the nationwide Picturing America pilot program, eight Philadelphia schools have begun implementing the materials in libraries and classrooms. Feedback from local educators has been tremendous.

"To have pictures and a teaching guide for free is a huge opportunity for our school," said Kimberly Gavin, Art Teacher at Holy Innocents Area Catholic Elementary School in Philadelphia. "We use the images as a diving board for our artistic explorations. The teaching guide has been extremely helpful in leading my classes to really look at the art and enter into discussions about the time and place of the images."

Today's Award Announcement
In the state of Pennsylvania, 1,297 schools and public libraries have been awarded Picturing America, including 372 institutions in city of Philadelphia (many Archdiocese schools are located in Philadelphia's suburban counties). These local recipients are part of the 26,320 schools and public libraries across the country that will participate in the program (for a full listing of recipient schools and libraries, please see http://picturingamerica.neh.gov/public_awards.php. Successful applicants will receive forty large, high-quality reproductions of great American art and a comprehensive teachers resource book to facilitate the use of the works of art in core subjects. Delivery of these materials is scheduled for August 2008. Additional education resources are also available through the Picturing America Web site (PicturingAmerica.neh.gov).

The NEH will offer Picturing America to more schools and libraries through a future enrollment opportunity beginning in August 2008. All eligible schools and public libraries in the U.S. and its territories that have not previously received Picturing America may apply for the program from August 4 through October 31, 2008 at PicturingAmerica.neh.gov.

Today's Event at Independence National Historical Park
Educators and students from some of the participating pilot schools in Philadelphia will attend today's event at the Independence Visitor Center, Independence National Historical Park, where several of the Picturing America images will also be on display.

"Picturing America is a wonderful resource for Independence NHP, as we will use this program throughout the summer to complement the work we do here to help the thousands of students who visit our park each year relate to the great people and events in our nation's past in a creative and original way," said Cynthia MacLeod, Superintendent of Independence National Historical Park.

During today's event, remarks will be given by:

· The Hon. Bruce Cole, Chairman of the NEH
· The Hon. Tevi Troy, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
· The Hon. Anne Radice, Director, Institute of Museum and Library Services
· Lindi L. Harvey, Deputy Director, National Park Service
· Cynthia MacLeod, Superintendent, Independence National Historical Park
· Statement from Governor Edward Rendell, presented by Martha McGeary Snider, Policy Advisor Arts and Culture, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
· Sandra Dungee Glenn, Chairwoman, School Reform Commission, School District of Philadelphia

The NEH wishes to thank the following organizations: the American Library Association, Office of Head Start, Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Park Service, The History Channel, and the National Trust for the Humanities. The NEH is grateful for the generous support of Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Smith and, in addition, wishes to thank the Pennsylvania Humanities Council for local support, the Independence National Historical Park for hosting today's event, as well as the host committee members Dr. Josephine Templeton, Mary L. Hagy, H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest, and Martha McGeary Snider, host for the reception at today's event.

Picturing America is distributed by the NEH in cooperation with the American Library Association (ALA). For information about the ALA, please visit www.ala.org.

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