An Archaeology Award for Excellence in Public Education

The Society for American Archaeology presents several awards each year for important contributions to archaeology. This recognition includes an award for ‘Outstanding Achievement in the Sharing of Archaeological Knowledge and Issues with the Public’. Established in 1997, this award is called the SAA Award for Excellence in Public Education.

The SAA Award for Excellence in Public Education acknowledges those who present archaeology information directly to the public as well as those who facilitate institutions and other individuals in their public education efforts. These substantial contributions to public education about archaeology are made either through writing or speaking about archaeology, developing and/or presenting educational programs, publishing, and/or distributing educational materials and other activities.

The award is conferred on a rotating, 3-year, cycle to an Archaeologist, an Educator, and an Institution. Past recipients are Brian Fagan (1997), Jan Coleman-Knight (1998), Ricky Lightfoot for Crow Canyon Archaeological Center (1999), George Stuart (2000), George Brauer of the Baltimore County Public Schools (2001), AnthroNotes of the Smithsonian (2002), and Jeanne Moe of Project Archaeology and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (2003).

A ‘Call for Nominations’ for this award is made each fall. See the fall issue of Archaeology & Public Education for details. Self-nominations for the award are accepted although some nominations are submitted by others as a surprise. Nominations are reviewed by a committee who select a recipient based on specific criteria established for the award:

Impact (e.g., the number of people reached, the quality of contributions, the duration of performance, the effect on public attitudes or behavior as determined through assessments)

Creativity (Have novel approaches to public education been employed either through program development, delivery, or distribution?)

Leadership (Has the nominee served as a positive role model of public education efforts in archaeology?)

Ethics (Has the nominee promoted preservation and protection of the archaeological record, explained and promoted currently accepted archaeological methods and techniques)

The recipient of the SAA Excellence in Public Education Award is announced each spring. A plaque is presented and a citation is read by the SAA President in April at an awards ceremony held during the annual SAA Conference. A citation is also published in the May issue of the SAA Archaeological Record.

The activities of these Award recipients promote a standard for Public Archaeology education practice. Public education is at the core of Stewardship - the central Principle of Archaeological Ethics that holds that archaeologists are care-takers and advocates for the archaeological record and that archaeologists should become aware of and respect the wide range of other legitimate interests in the possible uses of archaeological sites. Those involved with public archaeology education appreciate that archaeological research and preservation initiatives ultimately depend on public support. Their endeavors embrace and promote the understanding that the archaeological record is a public trust. To this end, this award honors those whose actions promote the SAA Principle of Stewardship.

For more information about the award or to suggest some deserving educator, contact Patrice L. Jeppson, 2200 Benjamin Franklin Parkway E1812, Philadelphia, PA 19130, tel: (215) 563-9262, email: pjeppson@kern.com. Preliminary inquiries are encouraged. Deadline for submissions is January 5, 2004.