Reese Fellowship

Empower your teaching with the William S. Reese Teacher Fellowship, an enrichment opportunity open to all educators teaching 5th-12th grades. Whether you’re affiliated with a public, private, or charter school, this fellowship invites you to explore innovative ways of enhancing your curriculum by creating interdisciplinary connections to American books and art. Selected fellows will create classroom lesson plans by leveraging primary sources found in Crystal Bridges’ collection of rare books and manuscripts, with the opportunity to include objects from the museum’s art collections.

Sponsored by Dorothy M. Hurt, the William S. Reese Teacher Fellowship celebrates the contributions of William Reese to the print cultures of the Americas and to the development of Crystal Bridges library special collections.

Sponsored by Dorothy M. Hurt

The fellowship combines professional development and curriculum development over a two-month period in summer 2024. Within the museum’s inspiring atmosphere, fellows will receive a dedicated workstation at the Crystal Bridges library, staff reference support, and a $5,000 award. Two fellowships will be awarded in 2024; individual teachers and two-person teaching teams are eligible. (Each fellow, whether working alone or in a two-person team, will receive a $5,000 award.) Additional travel support is not available. Past fellows have typically taught at schools in and around Northwest Arkansas, but teachers from outside the region who would like to use a portion of the award to cover travel expenses are encouraged to apply.

Selected fellows will embark on a journey that starts July 15-18, 2024 with a Crystal Bridges’ Summer Teacher Institute experience. Teachers will explore their role in arts integration through theoretical and hands-on activities and receive a specific library orientation that launches their research. Fellows are encouraged to extend their July visit and begin primary resource research in the library and museum collections.

Fellowship proposals will include a timeline for regular research visits (typically 2-4 over the two-month period) and touchpoints with Crystal Bridges’ staff as the lesson plans are developed. Fellows conclude the onsite portion of their projects with a presentation to Crystal Bridges’ Learning & Engagement Division staff, who will provide feedback and support to help shape the final lesson plan(s).

The library at Crystal Bridges holds approximately 2,000 rare books covering a wide variety of humanities and STEM subjects, including US history, literature, botany, and geography. Dates range from the 16th to 21st centuries, with a high concentration of volumes from the 19th century. Among the most significant holdings are bird and mammal folios by John James Audubon and a 1788 first edition of The Federalist Papers. The library also has a small collection of rare books and printed matter documenting Arkansas history.

Fellows will also have access to the library’s reference and archival collections, and to Crystal Bridges’ American art collections. The library catalog includes instructions for searching within the rare book collection.

Application Deadline: May 6, with announcements by May 24. 

Eligibility: Active teachers for 5-12th grades can apply individually or as a team of two. 

Project Scope: Proposals should detail the subject to be explored, alignment with curriculum standards, and desired resources to be utilized from Crystal Bridges’ collections. The project should unfold along an approximately two-month timeline commencing with the July 15-18, 2024 Summer Teacher Institute.  

 Expected Outcomes: Fellows will produce at least one lesson plan supplemented with audiovisual resources. Fellows are encouraged to consider tools for digital engagement and methods for sharing educational resources with broad, diverse audiences. Lesson plans and/or curriculum resources developed by fellows will be archived on the Crystal Bridges website. 

Applications are due by 11: 59 CST on May 6.

Applications must consist of:

• Standard name and affiliation fields
• What Crystal Bridges library and art holdings are you interested in researching? (max 500 words)
• How do you propose to create a curriculum for your classroom using the selected resources? (max 1000 words)
• With what state standards will this curriculum align? (max 500 words)
• What are the benefits to you and your class of participating in the fellowship? Will others benefit? (max 1000 words)
• What is the proposed timeline for your fellowship? The fellowship will commence on July 15 and should conclude within approximately two months of that date. (max 1000 words)
• Uploads: resume(s), 1 letter of recommendation from a school administrator or supervisor.

Apply Now

For more information on the fellowship program or the Crystal Bridges collections, please contact us at School.Programs@CrystalBridges.org.

• Who qualifies for application?
  The program is open to Pre-K – 12 educators of language arts, history, social studies, or the sciences. Applicants may be affiliated with a public, private, or charter school. Two fellows will be selected for 2023.
• Does my project have to be object oriented?
  We invite applicants working on object-based (a work of art at Crystal Bridges) projects. We highly encourage interdisciplinary connections between American art and other academic subjects. Creative research projects that seek to enhance traditional teaching methods and engagement are particularly encouraged.
• How long is the term?
  Terms are 4 weeks consecutive during a period of time chosen by the Reese Teacher Fellow and agreed upon by program committee members. The term typically would fall June and August; however, the Museum is open to considering consecutive four weeks during other times of the calendar year.
• What resources are available to Scholars?
  Fellows will have open access to the Crystal Bridges Library catalog and subscription databases. The Crystal Bridges Library is open stacks, internally circulating. Access to Crystal Bridges’ manuscripts, archival materials, and artist files will be available by appointment with the Library. Objects in storage and object files can be viewed by appointment with the Registrar. Close physical examination of objects, including supports and frames, may also be arranged through Collections Management staff. Fellows may also request access to the museum’s collection database and object files through Collections Management.
• To further strengthen the connection between the project and the museum, fellows will receive a field trip to the museum for their classroom during the 2023-24 school year. Free bus transportation, student lunches, and reimbursement for substitute teachers are provided. Crystal Bridges school tours are led by trained museum educators and are designed to meet curriculum standards.
• Are fellows required to lead a program?
  Yes. There are many opportunities to engage with staff, the public, and educators. All fellows will present their research to an internal staff audience. In addition, in consultation with museum staff, Reese Fellows will lead one program, such as a workshop, presentation, or gallery conversation.

Past Fellowship Projects

Realms of Fin and Feet and Wing
This resource offers interdisciplinary curriculum materials to integrate early American natural history documents and works of art into World History, American History, British Literature, American Literature, and Biology.
By 2014 William Reese Company Teacher Fellow, Anne Greenwood

The Intersection of Poetry and Art
All disciplines are incorporated making this a unique way to introduce art and poetry to any classroom. Every section of this site is organized for maximum usage and ease of access and features the work of more than 60 prominent and lesser-known American visual artists, as well as poems that might pair with them. All primary sourced materials to save teachers time in the classroom while maximizing the time students have to learn.
By 2017 William Reese Company Teacher Fellow, William Plaschke

American Painting, Poetry, Prose, and “Progress” in the Nineteenth Century
The intersection of art, literature, and history during the 19th century is addressed in this module that provide educators of various disciplines pedagogical ideas and a multitude of components they can use to adapt existing lesson plans or create entirely new ones as their students explore the work of the Hudson River School artists, transcendentalists, and the Knickerbocker Group. Themes addressed include westward expansion, nature, and Native Americans.
By 2018 William Reese Company Teacher Fellow, Bob Fenster

Engaging Empathy
Engaging Empathy integrates the artwork and library resources of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in lessons to strengthen empathy and literacy in secondary schools. The lessons address complex topics through important and representational material from a variety of perspectives, creating a starting point for deeper lessons and dialogue to foster greater understanding and empathy.
By 2019 William Reese Company Teacher Fellows, Julie Griggs and Heather Hooks