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The 2009 Jenice Riley Memorial Scholarship
Deadline for application: May 29, 2009

The Jenice Riley Memorial Scholarship

The Alabama Humanities Foundation awards the Jenice Riley Memorial Scholarships to Alabama teachers looking to further their professional development through this $1,000 award that helps them attend a seminar or institute, purchase classroom materials, or create a program that enhances their students’ understanding of history and civics. Recipients are chosen from a pool of applicants based on their proposed spending of the scholarship money to improve their teaching abilities and create a more effective classroom environment. The recipients of this scholarship are honored each year at the AHF's annual Alabama Humanities Awards Luncheon in September.

The Jenice Riley Memorial Scholarship was created in memory of the late Jenice Riley, daughter of Alabama governor Bob Riley and his wife Patsy, for her extraordinary commitment to enhancing the quality of education in Alabama. Jenice Riley’s passion for teaching kindergarten infused her students with creativity and a desire to learn. She inspired her students, encouraged parents to get involved in their children’s education, and actively promoted better educational programs and disciplines within her community. AHF is honored to present this scholarship each year in her memory.

Congratulations to the 2008 Recipients of the
Jenice Riley Memorial Scholarship

Angie Hardiman
Kindergarten Teacher, New Market School, New Market

Hardiman, who has been teaching for 13 years, will use the scholarship to fund a classroom unit designed to give her students a better understanding of communities and community helpers.

"Students will learn to follow rules, such as sharing and taking turns," says Hardiman. "The long-term goal of the unit is to instill in students an awareness and appreciation for people who work hard to make our community a wonderful place to live."

Lisa Hargett
4th Grade Teacher, Hayden Elementary School, Hayden

Hargett, who has been teaching for 15 years, will use the scholarship to fund the History Alive project, which will provide the school and community with a dramatic reenactment of the chronological accounts and lives of important historical American figures.

"By fostering public attention and dialogues on freedom, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens voiced from historical figures, students and the community will advance their awareness and understanding of American History and civics," Hargett says.

Lorie Johnson
Reading Teacher, Richland Elementary School, Auburn

Johnson has been teaching for 5 years. In celebration of Alabama Heroes Day, she will use the scholarship to help fund the school's upcoming Living History Museum and the purchase of biographies from the Alabama Roots series.

"As teachers, we are committed to allowing our students the opportunity to learn about the founding and growth of our state and nation," Johnson says. "The trials, tribulations and triumphs Americans and Alabamians in particular have withstood, persevered through and overcome lend strength, hope and a new challenge for us today.

Karissa Lang
4th Grade Teacher, Leon Sheffield Magnet School, Decatur

Lang, who has been teaching for six years, will use the scholarship to fund an architecture unit, in which students will learn about Old Decatur and the Albany District. At the end of the unit, students will produce a brochure featuring historical homes and architecture.

"The goal for my students is to gain an appreciation for the beautiful architecture all around them while also learning about our city's rich history," Lang says. "Students must understand, even at the tender age of 10, that they can make a difference in their community."

Marcia Webb
3rd-5th Grade Teacher, Cary Woods Elementary, Auburn

Webb has been teaching for 17 years. She will fund a school-wide unit on the history of the town of Auburn, in which all students will become actively engaged historians.

"Students will remember the facts longer if they are a part of the fact-gathering process," Webb says. "I want our students to be knowledgeable and proud of our community, and to learn how to use the rich resources we have available in our town."

Evie Whitaker
5th Grade Teacher, Owens Cross Roads School, Owens Cross Roads

Whitaker, who has been teaching for ten years, will use the scholarship to help fund Reader's Theater plays in her classroom, in which students learn about American History by acting out historical figures. The scholarship would go towards costumes and books about the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.

"Children must realize that they can, in fact, change the world," Whitaker says. "Through the study of various events in American History, my students see that ordinary citizens much like themselves made important contributions to our nation."