FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Lindsay Sheldon
Phone: 716.481.6291
Email: lsheldon@ncte.org
Shelly C. Lowe, Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities to Address Keynote at NCTE Summer Event for English Teachers
Lowe will speak on July 29 in Louisville, KY
Washington, DC, June 23, 2022 — The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) announces that Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo), Chair of the National Endowment for Humanities (NEH), will deliver a keynote address at the 2022 NCTE Homecoming, the inaugural summer event for English Language Arts educators. The event was created in recognition of the need to connect literacy, the humanities, and all literacy educators to allow for intentional planning and renewed focus on the possibilities ahead for the new academic year.
Lowe, a citizen of the Navajo Nation, is the first Native American woman selected to lead the federal cultural agency as Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, a position appointed by President Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Previously, Lowe had served from 2015-2022 as a member of the National Council on the Humanities, an appointment by President Obama.
“English and writing classes are both important entryways through which so many young learners get a glimpse of the power of the humanities to inspire and inform,” said NEH Chair Lowe. “NEH applauds the work of NCTE and teachers everywhere who are helping awaken a love of language and learning in students, especially those who have prevailed in this vitally important profession amidst the immense challenges of the pandemic. I look forward to the opportunity to meet and speak to NCTE-member educators this July.”
Lowe’s career in higher education includes roles as executive director of the Harvard University Native American Program, assistant dean in the Yale College Dean’s Office, and director of the Native American Cultural Center at Yale University. Prior to these positions, she spent six years as the graduate education program facilitator for the American Indian Studies Programs at the University of Arizona.
“As we learn from the pandemic, NCTE eagerly pursues new partners to accelerate new possibilities for our students, communities, and our country. While some NCTE members have participated in NEH work in the past, there’s tremendous potential to deliberately envision a shared future which prioritizes new possibilities and nurtures student interest in the humanities. We are thrilled to welcome Shelly Lowe and her groundbreaking vision to NCTE this summer,” said Emily Kirkpatrick, NCTE Executive Director.
About NCTE
The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is devoted to improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education. Through collaboration and community, shared stories and shared experiences, NCTE supports teachers and their students in classrooms, on college campuses, and in online learning environments. For more than 100 years, NCTE has worked with its members to offer journals, publications, and resources; to further the voice and expertise of educators as advocates for their students at the local, state, and federal levels; and to share lesson ideas, research, and teaching strategies through its Annual Convention and other professional learning events.
About the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at neh.gov.