Dear Friends,
On Monday, November 19, 2012, I had the pleasure of accepting the 2012 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award from First Lady Michelle Obama in the East Room of the White House, on behalf of the New-York Historical Society. The award honored New-York Historical's Student Internship Program for its effectiveness in developing learning and life skills in young people by engaging them in the arts and humanities. Together with me to receive the award was New-York Historical Student Historian Jonathan Brown. It was truly an honor for both of us!
Brown, 17, entered the Student Historian program in July 2011 and now serves as a Teen Leader and peer mentor for this year’s Student Historians. This comprehensive internship and youth development program provides high school students with vocational and academic training, public speaking and leadership skills, and an increased understanding of American art and history. Through the examination of primary sources such as maps, photographs, and newspapers, and by studying material culture such as works of art, furniture, and tools, students develop independent views of history. The powerful impact of the program is illustrated by the fact that since 2009, 100 percent of New-York Historical Society Student Historians have gone on to four-year colleges.
Chosen from a pool of more than 350 nominations and 50 finalists, New-York Historical’s Student Historian Internship Program was one of 12 after-school and out-of-school programs across the country to receive the award, which is the highest honor such programs can receive in the United States. We hope this award will draw attention to the documented fact that programs like ours are essential investments not just in the lives of our young people, but in our community, as well. We’re incredibly proud of this achievement and of the young people, volunteers, supporters, board, and staff who made it possible.
In addition to the national recognition bestowed by receipt of the prestigious award, New-York Historical will also receive $10,000 to support its programming and engage more young people from the community. To learn more about our Student Historian program, please visit our website (http://www.nyhistory.org/education/students/student-historian-program). We're so proud to be able to continue offering programs that Make History Matter.
