This grant provides a one-time award of up to $1,000 worth of tools and equipment to expand the teaching capacity for an emerging craft instructor. This grant aims to cultivate craft education in the Swedish slöjd (handcraft) tradition by investing in the next generation of craft practitioners and instructors. ASI believes that investing in individual instructors is an important way to preserve Nordic handcraft traditions and create innovation in the handcraft community, because it allows instructors to gain experience and share knowledge while increasing their capacity to teach widely across many institutions.
The strongest applicants will have several years of teaching experience, will address the viability of creating a long term and potentially varied teaching curriculum with such teaching tools, will enable the instructor to teach a full size class (usually 6-15 students), and will demonstrate teaching relationships with several institutions. It is assumed and encouraged that awardees will use their awarded teaching tools for teaching opportunities beyond ASI.
For grant award guidelines and the narrative questions, please read the full grant description.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for this grant, you must be at least 18 years old and be a resident of the U.S. Applicants should be emerging/early career instructors who can demonstrate they have teaching experience, proposed coursework that will benefit from an investment in teaching tools, and a long term commitment to teaching. Both professional (full time) and non-professional (part time) instructors are encouraged to apply.
ASI defines Nordic Handcraft as contemporary or traditional crafts related to or inspired by the geography and cultures of Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, inclusive of the peoples who have moved to and from those places from pre-history to present day. Applicants from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Please see our website for the current selection of coursework we offer.
How to Apply
Applications are available April 15, 2024 and are due May 15, 2024. Awardees will be notified in early June. Two or more grants will be awarded. Applicants are welcome to contact the Food and Handcraft Program Coordinator with questions throughout the course of the application period and are strongly encouraged to do so if they do not have an exisiting teaching relationship with ASI to confirm ASI's exisiting tools and coursework needs.
Applicants must provide:
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A short CV (up to two pages) including relevant training and teaching experience, along with other honors or grants received.
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A work sample document including up to 12 images of your work/projects you teach, submitted as one document (for example a word, pdf, or powerpoint). Alternatively, provide a link in your CV to a website or social media account that communicates what you make and teach.
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An itemized budget for up to $1,000 of teaching tools. Eligible items may include tools and equipment for individual or group use in class and storage for transportation of such tools. Technology equipment, training, nonreusable materials for student projects, and services are not eligible for funding through this grant. Please see grant guidlines for more guidance on submitting a budget.
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Two professional references who can speak to your experience as a craft instructor
- Answers to several narrative questions, illustrating teaching experience, future goals, and value of tools in proposed budget.
Applicants are welcome to contact the Food and Handcraft Programs Coordinator with questions.
Timeline
Applications are available April 15, 2024 and are due May 15, 2024. Awardees will be notified in early June. Two or more grants will be awarded.
Conditions
Awards are provided in the form of the purchase of teaching tools through ASI before September 30, 2024. Awardees must commit to teaching a minimum of two workshops (half day or more) at the American Swedish Institute between November 2024 and October 2025. ASI may offer other programmatic opportunities (e.g. demonstrating during events, representing ASI at off-site programs, etc.) for awardees. ASI will compensate the awardee for all programming at the regular contract instructor rate. Tools provided by this grant shall not be resold to students as a part of a class kit or materials fee.
All components of the application are due by midnight, Monday May 15, 2024.
Questions? Please contact:
Erin Swenson-Klatt, Food and Hadcraft Programs Coordinator | 612-870-3352 | erinsk@asimn.org | American Swedish Institute, 2600 Park Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55407