U.S. Chris Smith (R-Hamilton) today announced that he has secured a $998,641 grant from the U.S. Department of Education for the Lakewood Public School District. The Teaching American History Grant was created to help teachers develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of American History so that they can enhance instruction thereby increasing student achievement. At the request of Ms. Lisa DiEugenio – Director of Resource Development for the Lakewood School District – Smith had supported the funding and in June sent a letter to the Department of Education. 

    “I am proud to announce that Lakewood has received the Teaching American History Grant,” said Smith. “It is critical that our teachers have the resources necessary to enable them to increase student appreciation of American History. Once a student has appreciation for a subject area, they are bound to excel in it.” 

    The grant will be awarded to the John Witherspoon Liberty Fellowship Project – directed by Lisa DiEugenio – and will serve 50 teachers and 77,907 students. This fellowship, in partnership with Temple University, the American Institute for History Education, and Learners Online provides all Ocean County American history teachers with professional development in history knowledge and pedagogical skills through colloquia, field trips, summer institutes, and development of replicable lesson plans using primary sources. Lakewood will team with Jackson Township so that teachers can network with higher resource areas. 

    “Its important to look at American history as a separate subject, and teachers from K-12 will now be given to the opportunity to enhance their content expertise in this extremely important area,” said Ms. Lisa DiEugeno, the project’s director. “Grants provide additional funding that the district would not normally be able to pay for, and I am thankful for Congressman Smith’s help to secure it.” 

    “This grant provides quality resources for Lakewood and Ocean County teachers,” said Smith. “The added funding of the grant will help to provide our teachers with creative techniques and insights that are designed to engage students’ interest and appreciation of American history.”