Teaching with Primary Sources

Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) grants seek to fulfill the mission of the Library of Congress to use its collections to connect with those representing diverse communities, beliefs, and endeavors to engage, inspire, and inform Congress and the American people with a universal and enduring source of knowledge and creativity. TPS grants build a nationwide network of organizations that deliver professional development, write curriculum, and create apps and interactives based on the Library’s digitized primary sources.

Eligible applicants include: public or private organizations, both not-for profit and for-profit organizations and including institutions of higher education, colleges, universities, professional associations, library systems, cultural institutions, other educational organizations such as K-12 schools, after-school programs, literacy organizations, centers, clubs, associations of home-schooling parents, honor societies, and other professional, civic, regional, state, and community groups, and collaborative partnerships (such as an organization with content expertise paired with a state or regional educational entity); NOFO - 030ADV21R0179 4/22/2021 6 states; public or private agencies, including for-profit agencies; and Indian tribes and tribal organizations. An applicant may be disqualified if the applicant or any principal or employee has been subject to any legal proceeding involving fraud, criminal activity or has been subject to any Federal or state citation for a criminal activity. If so, an explanation must be provided.

The Library will assemble panels comprising Library of Congress staff, staff from other government agencies, and senior professionals, from organizations across the country, to review and evaluate submissions on the basis of: the applicant’s demonstrated history of providing high-quality curricula, materials and tools focused on a specific subject or population; the applicant’s leadership in educational network(s) that propagate teaching excellence in the field targeted by the proposal; experience, knowledge and contacts within the broader targeted community that would support significant adoption and use of the tools or materials created; quality and use of previously created curricula, instructional materials and tools; and programmatic and financial capability of the applicant, as witnessed by the soundness of the project plan and management of similar previous projects. Specifically, Library staff and review panels will evaluate applications based on the following criteria: Expertise, Need and Impact, Programmatic Financial Capability, Educational Networks and Affiliations, Proposed use of Library Resources, Past Activities, and Budget/ Project Costs.

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Fiscal Year2020: A project to design an inquiry-based online course and component assets centered on Teaching with Primary Sources materials. This online course will offer educators a carefully scaffolded curriculum to enhance their ability to promote curiosity, critical thinking, content knowledge, and literacy through questions, Teaching with Primary Sources pedagogy, and primary sources.Fiscal Year2021: A project to design and implement educational projects using Library of Congress materials for use in or outside of formal classroom settings.