MoMent

National Council for the Social Studies
http://www.socialstudies.org
Founded in 1921, National Council for the Social Studies
(NCSS) is the largest association in the country devoted
solely to social studies education. NCSS engages and
supports educators in strengthening and advocating for
social studies education and defines social studies as the
integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to
promote civic competence. Organized into a network of
more than 110 affliated state, local, and regional councils
and associated groups, the NCSS membership represents
K–12 classroom teachers, college and university faculty
members, curriculum designers and specialists, social
studies supervisors, and leaders in the various disciplines
that constitute the social studies.
National Issues Forums Institute
http://www.nifi.org
National Issues Forums Institute is a nonpartisan,
nationwide organization that supports national issues
forums through a network of locally sponsored public
forums for the consideration of public policy issues. It
is rooted in the simple notion that people need to come
together to reason and talk—to deliberate about common
problems. These forums—organized by a variety of
organizations, groups, and individuals—offer citizens
the opportunity to join together to deliberate, to make
choices with others about ways to approach diffcult
issues, and to work toward creating reasoned public
judgment. The forums focus on an issue such as health
care, immigration, social security, or ethnic and racial
tensions. They provide a way for people of diverse views
and experiences to seek a shared understanding of the
problem and to search for common ground for action.
National Endowment for the Humanities
http://www.neh.gov
Created in 1965, NEH is an independent federal agency
that promotes excellence in the humanities and is one of
the largest funders of humanities programs in the United
States. The endowment provides grants for high-quality
humanities projects in four funding areas: preserving
and providing access to cultural resources, education,
research, and public programs. The grants strengthen
teaching and learning in the humanities in schools and
colleges across the nation; facilitate research and original
scholarship; provide opportunities for lifelong learning;
preserve and provide access to cultural and educational
resources; and strengthen the institutional base of the
humanities.
New England Resource Center for Higher Education
http://www.nerche.org
The New England Resource Center for Higher Education
(NERCHE) is committed to collaborative change
processes in higher education that address social justice
in a diverse democracy. As a center for inquiry, research,
and policy, NERCHE supports administrators, faculty,
and staff across the region in becoming more effective
practitioners and leaders as they navigate the complexities
of institutional innovation and change. NERCHE’s
research projects, programs, and activities draw upon
the practitioner perspective to improve practice and to
inform and influence policy, moving from the local to
regional and national levels. The center’s work is informed
by a grassroots approach to developing collaborative
leadership, oriented to building diverse and inclusive
communities.
New Leadership Alliance for Student Learning
and Accountability
http://www.newleadershipalliance.org
The New Leadership Alliance for Student Learning
and Accountability leads and supports voluntary and
cooperative efforts to move the higher education
community toward gathering, reporting on, and using
evidence to improve student learning in American
undergraduate education. The alliance envisions a selfdirected,
professional higher education community that
produces an increasing number of college graduates
with high-quality degrees in preparation for work, life,
and responsible citizenship. Through the promotion
of shared principles, recommended actions, and
innovative initiatives, the alliance aims to shape attitudes,
practices, and policies related to gathering, reporting
on, and using evidence to improve student learning
and to increase public confidence in the quality of
undergraduate education.
A CRUCIBLE MOMENT: College Learning & Democracy’s Future 111