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Photo by Gregg Trusty/LSUS News

History Worth a Million

Dr. Michael Sartisky (center), executive director and president of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, chats about a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education that will fund American history summer institutes at LSUS for three years. Involved in the discussion are (from left) Dr. Blake Dunnavent, an LSUS associate professor of history; Dr. V. Elaine Thompson, a Louisiana Tech assistant professor of history; Sartisky; Ollie Tyler, Caddo Parish superintendent of schools, and Dr. Gary Joiner, an LSUS assistant professor of history. The professors conducted three summer institutes in June for about 70 Caddo and Bossier public school teachers in elementary, middle and high schools. LSUS waived tuition for the institutes, which earned three hours of graduate credit for the teachers. The grant, obtained through the LEH, paid the mandatory fees, a $1,000 stipend for each teacher and the salaries of the professors. Sartisky said similar institutes are planned for the next two years.

LSUS to host three American history summer institutes

LSUS will host three American history summer institutes for about 70 Caddo and Bossier public school teachers as part of a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Teaching American History program obtained through the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities.

In an orientation for the first series of U.S. history summer institutes in the three-year project Thursday afternoon, LEH Executive Director and President Dr. Michael Sartisky welcoming teachers and administrators in a packed LSUS lecture hall. Joining Sartisky for the orientation were Caddo Parish Superintendent of Schools Ollie Tyler and Dr. Larry Anderson, dean of the LSUS College of Liberal Arts.

Also on hand to meet and greet the elementary, middle and high school history teachers were the three professors who will conduct the institutes: Dr. Blake Dunnavent, an LSUS associate professor of history; Dr. Gary Joiner, an LSUS assistant professor of history, and Dr. V. Elaine Thompson, a Louisiana Tech assistant professor of history.

The public school teachers will be enrolled in History 790, will receive three hours of graduate credit and a $1,000 stipend. LSUS has waived tuition and most fees, with some mandatory fees being paid through the grant. The grant will also pay the professors’ salaries. Sartisky said the LEH expects to have similar institutes the next two summers.

Anderson said the institutes ran for four weeks beginning June 5.