The Glenn Nerbak Excellence in Teaching Grants Program 

The winner(s) will be announced at the 2017 Social Studies Conference.

The Glenn Nerbak Award for Excellence in Teaching Social Studies is awarded annually Maine teachers who exemplify a passion and commitment to social studies and student learning.  This teaching grant of up to $1,000 is intended to support teachers in their commitment to extending learning beyond the classroom through civic education, social justice, and/or service learning. The number of grants awarded each year will depend on the number of applications and the amounts requested.

Winners are required to present about their funded project at the 2018 MCSS Social Studies Conference.

Glenn Nerbak, a former social studies teacher and Director of the Portland Mentoring Alliance at Portland High School, served as the MCSS Board President from 2008 - 2014. In that capacity he spent countless hours creating bi-monthly newsletters and organizing an annual conference — the only statewide professional development opportunity specific to social studies. Under Glenn’s leadership, this annual conference and bi-monthly newsletter provided more than 1,000 classroom teachers with affordable and high-quality professional development experiences and resources. His leadership and determination was instrumental in cultivating and expanding the membership and visibility of MCSS. It is in this spirit that each year, an outstanding social studies educator who shares Glenn’s passion for teaching and learning, as well as his focus on social justice, will be awarded a grant to fund a social studies project or program in their school.