Skip to main content

The Joint Committee on the Classics in American Education invites submissions for the 2024 SCS Awards for Excellence in Teaching at the K-12 Level. Thanks to a very generous gift to the Society’s Gatekeeper to Gateway Campaign for the Future of Classics from Daniel and Joanna Rose, the amounts to be awarded have been increased substantially. Up to two winners will receive a cash prize of $500, airfare to either the SCS Annual meeting in January 2025, the 2025 ACL Institute or, the CAC 2025 meeting, and two nights’ accommodation at the corresponding convention hotel. In addition, each winner’s institution will receive $200 to purchase educational resources selected by the winner. The winners will be honored at both the SCS and ACL, and they may select the meeting at which they wish to receive the award.

See the list of previous winners of this award here.

Teachers, full- or part-time, of grades K-12, in schools in the United States and Canada who at the time of the application teach at least one class of Latin, Greek, or classics at the K-12 level, and have taught for a minimum of five years, are eligible. Membership in the SCS is not required. No previous winner of this award is eligible to apply for it a second time. Candidates will be eligible for consideration for two consecutive years and unsuccessful dossiers may be revised and resubmitted again five years after the first submission.

The submission process may be initiated by the candidate or by the recommender. The SCS encourages both applications and nominations, with a view to recognizing as many deserving teachers as possible.

The candidate’s dossier should consist of the following components:

  1. A candidate’s statement explaining achievements in terms of vision, strategies, and methods. Limit of three pages, single spaced in size 12 Times New Roman font.
  2. The candidate's current curriculum vitae. Limit of five pages, single spaced in size 12 Times New Roman font.
  3. A letter of recommendation from a colleague, administrator, former student or any SCS member who is thoroughly familiar with the teacher's work. The letter should include the candidate’s name, school, and email address, as well as the recommender’s title, email and telephone number. The letter should indicate how the candidate meets the criteria of the award (see below). Limit of three pages, single spaced in size 12 Times New Roman font.
  4. Two letters from current students, recent graduates, or parents, and one letter from a colleague or administrator who can also speak in detail about the candidate. All letters should be collected by the recommender and submitted with the nomination. The candidate should not have access to the letters. Limit of three pages per letter, single spaced in size 12, Times New Roman font.

The dossier should be submitted via e-mail to the Executive Director of the SCS (xd@classicalstudies.org). Files must include all four components to be considered for this award.

Award winners are selected by a subcommittee of the Joint Committee on the Classics in American Education, whose membership is selected equally from both the SCS and the American Classical League. The deadline for the receipt of complete dossiers is November 1, 2024. Questions about the competition may be directed to the Executive Director at the e-mail address above. Every effort will be made to inform winners in a timely manner to allow for travel arrangements.

Additional Guidelines

The key to a successful submission is detailed information about the candidate's teaching practices and results. Because all candidates are usually highly qualified, letters and statements must move far beyond general affirmations that the candidate is an excellent teacher and provide demonstrable results.

Every dossier should address at least four of the following criteria:

  • a commitment in their classroom to diversity, equity, and inclusion, broadly defined
  • evidence of improved student learning
  • innovative and creative classroom activity, including forms of assessment that engage a broad spectrum of learning abilities
  • success, size, and growth of the classics program and/or community outreach relative to conditions in the candidate’s district
  • evidence of creating interest in classical languages and Greek or Roman culture
  • student successes and recognitions, broadly defined
  • advancement of a significant percentage of students to the next level of study
  • professional service and professional development, including obstacles overcome, workshops (both taken and given), papers presented, offices held, awards received, etc.