CORTEZ, Colo. – Educators who teach kindergarten through 12th grade from throughout the United States will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the field of Southwestern archaeology during two professional development programs conducted in July and August 2010. The programs, hosted by the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center and funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, provide stipends to cover all expenses, including travel and living costs.

Educators can choose between a three-week institute and two one-week workshops held at the Crow Canyon campus in Cortez, Colo. The campus is located in the Mesa Verde region, one of the best preserved archaeological and cultural landscapes in the world. Faculty will include archaeologists, educators and American Indian scholars.

Program participants will explore the ancient and modern worlds of the Pueblo Indian people. The ancestral Pueblo, or Anasazi, lived in the Mesa Verde region from 1000 B.C. to A.D. 1300, when they migrated from the region. Today, Pueblo communities continue to thrive in New Mexico and Arizona.

Visits to archaeological sites, including Mesa Verde National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage site), will provide information about the development of Pueblo society. Archaeological field excavation, laboratory artifact analysis, and discussions with scholars will offer insight into how knowledge about the human past is gained through traditional and scientific inquiries.

The summer institute, “Peoples of the Mesa Verde Region: Connecting the Past with the Present Through Humanities Research,” will take place June 27 – July 17. The institute will focus on the concept of culture and the field of anthropology, the history and culture of the Pueblo people, and the principles of archaeological research. The institute includes two overnight field trips to archaeological sites and a modern Pueblo community. The institute is open to 25 educators.

The workshop, “Seeking the Center Place: The Mesa Verde Cultural Landscape and Pueblo Indian Homeland,” an NEH Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshop, will be offered twice, Aug. 1 – 7 and Aug. 8 – 14. Each workshop will explore the importance of the landmarks in the Mesa Verde region and the history and enduring vitality of the Pueblo Indian people. Each workshop is open to 40 educators.

Applications must be postmarked on or before March 2, 2010. For more information on the institute and workshops, visit the Web site or call (800) 422-8975, ext. 146.

The Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, a nonprofit institution, is located in southwestern Colorado – just outside Cortez – in an area containing one of the densest concentrations of well-preserved archaeological sites in the world. The center’s mission is to advance knowledge of the human experience through archaeological research, education programs, and collaboration with American Indians. As part of its mission, the center offers school group programs, teen camps, and programs for adults.