We are excited to announce that Holderness School Dean of Faculty and Spanish teacher Kristen Fischer has been named a NEH Summer Scholar, selected from a nationwide pool of applicants to attend one of 35 summer seminars and institutes supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Kristen will travel to The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) to participate in a Summer Institute named Tales from the Chihuahuan Desert: Borderlands Narratives about Identity and Binationalism. The two-week, residential program will be held July 16 to July 30, and will be directed by Dr. Ignacio Martínez (UTEP Department of History) and Dr. R. Joseph Rodríguez (St. Edward’s University). By focusing on borderland populations, the course will, according to UTEP, “place these forgotten regions and their populations at the center of the debate about American history and identity by focusing on the multicultural region and narratives of the El Paso-Ciudad Juarez metroplex.” 

“I'm very excited about this two-week institute because it combines history, current events, the intersection of (at least) two cultures, and the age-old theme of migrations and their impact on societies,” Kristen said. “The course requires that I prepare lessons for my classes, so I will definitely be bringing back plenty of material to share with my students. I'm really looking forward to it!"

The 24 teachers selected to participate in the tuition-free program each receive a stipend
of $2,200 to cover their travel, study, and living expenses and meet eligibility criteria
outlined by NEH. NEH funds a wide variety of programs that can help teachers expand
their humanities knowledge, engage in concentrated research, or improve their classroom
Teaching. The Summer Scholars joining Kristen in El Paso will go on to teach almost 4,000 American students in the upcoming 2023-2024 academic year. 

The 35 seminars and institutes offered by the NEH this summer cover a wide range of topics, from Women and the American Revolution to The First Amendment in 21st Century America.