Skip to main content

Smyth Teacher Travel Awards

Gordon and Mary Beth Smyth, long time Nelson County residents and dedicated philanthropists, created the Smyth Teacher Travel Award Program in recognition of the work and contributions that teachers make to the community. The program provides Nelson County Public School teachers a unique opportunity to enhance the quality of their classroom instruction by gaining first-hand experiences, knowledge and training in an area related to their field of expertise.  The gifts from the Smyth Teacher Travel Award Program cover the expenses of the trip and allow teachers to gain invaluable insights that they take back to their classrooms. All teachers are welcome and encouraged to apply, even those with no prior travel experience; please note, though, that preference will be given to applicants that have not yet received the award.
 
Past projects funded by the Smyth Teach Travel Award program:
2011 Awards

  • John Coots will attend the 62nd National Athletic Trainer’s Association (NATA) Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana. Mr. Coots teaches Introduction to Sports Medicine and Healthy & Physical Education at Nelson County High School.  
  • Vickie Mays will travel to Alaska to visit various sites including Denali National Park, the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage, and the Inupiat Eskimo village of Barrow. Mrs. Mays is the Gifted Coordinator at Nelson County Middle School and teaches Math.  
  • Gillian Lanier will visit Glacier national Park, Yellowstone national Park and Grand Teton National Park. Mrs. Lanier teaches Pre-Kindergarten at Rockfish River Elementary.  

2010 Awards

  • Debbie Stevens Speilman walked the Camino de Santiago from St. Jean-Pied-de-Port in France through northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela. Ms. Speilman teaches at Nelson County High School and applies this experience to the five classes she teaches under Family and Consumer Science, including Introduction to Hospitality, Recreation, and Tourism.
  • Ann Marie Barkley traveled to Yosemite to document the landscapes photographed by Ansel Adams.  Ms. Barkley teaches art and photography at Nelson County High School.  
  • Kallan Shaun Parsley traveled to Boston to further his education in American History.  Mr. Parsley taught 8th Grade Civics at Nelson Middle School and now teaches Social Studies at Nelson County High School.  

 
Listed below are the four elements which comprise the application. Please complete each section and return by December 30, 2011.
 

  1. Cover Sheet – please print and fill out the cover sheet on right and return with your application.

 

  1. Agreement – please read, print  and return the signed agreement with your application.

 

  1. Narrative
    Please answer the following questions in no more than three pages:

 

  1. Tell us about your teaching experience and what makes you unique as a teacher.
  2. Describe an example of what would be your best day in the classroom – please be sure to describe this day in the context of your goals as teacher.
  3. Please tell us about the trip you would like to take. Please explain, with specific examples, how this trip would be integrated into your classroom and lesson plans.
  4. Please explain how you will share this experience outside of your classroom (throughout the school and the Nelson Community).

  1. Application

 5.   Budget
In addition to the questions above, please submit a one page budget listing estimated expenses for your trip.
 
Documents for the application can be found on the Applicant Resources page. 

In order to be considered, the cover sheet, agreement, narrative and budget must be mailed and the envelope postmarked on or before December 30, 2011 to:
Smyth Teacher Travel Awards
c/o Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (CACF)
P.O. Box 1767
Charlottesville, VA 22902
 
A committee will review your application and may contact you to schedule an interview. Awards will be announced spring 2012. Please call the Foundation office at (434) 296.1024 should you have any questions.
 

Nelson