K-12 educators and college graduate students from the Four Corners area and across the United States are invited this summer to explore human culture and society in the context of one of the oldest persistent cultural groups on the continent: the Pueblo Indians of the American Southwest.

This professional-development opportunity - a three-week institute entitled "Bridging Cultures: Diversity and Unity in the Pueblo World" - is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). NEH provides stipends that cover most expenses, including travel and living costs.

The institute runs from June 30 to July 20, 2013, and is based at the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center. This year's institute faculty will include Crow Canyon archaeologists and educators, as well as American Indian scholars. Margie Connolly, Crow Canyon director of American Indian initiatives, and Dr. Kathy Stemmler, Crow Canyon director of education, will codirect the institute.

"The institute is a unique opportunity for educators," Connolly said. "It brings together the perspectives of American Indian scholars, educators and archaeologists. This collaborative approach to the study of Pueblo Indian history helps the teachers build a more inclusive history of the Mesa Verde region."

During the institute, Pueblo scholars and archaeologists will lead 25 educators into the heart of the Pueblo world in the Southwest, traveling to archaeological sites and modern and ancestral Pueblo villages. Educators will gain an understanding of how Pueblo culture formed and how it has endured for thousands of years, and they will return to their classrooms with curricula developed in relation to the institute's theme.

Applications for the NEH program must be postmarked no later than March 4, 2013. For more information on the institute and workshops, visit www.crowcanyon.org/NEHsummer2013, e-mail [email protected] or call 800-422-8975. Prospective applicants can access information about all 2013 NEH Summer Institutes, as well as the online Participant Application Cover Sheet on the NEH Web site, www.neh.gov.