The grant period has passed. Please apply starting next September for the 2025 annual meeting in San Francisco.

Established in 2022, the James G. Stofer Fund for Community College and Public High School Teachers provides grants to support the participation of community college and public high school teachers in AHA activities and programs. Community college and public high school faculty applicants, who are members of the Association, will be considered for the Stofer Annual Meeting Travel Grants, regardless of participation in the program. The application deadline is November 15. Successful applicants will be awarded travel subsidies of up to $400 each.

The fund is named in honor of James G. Stofer, who dropped out of a Brooklyn public high school to join the Navy. He entered active duty on December 12, 1940, serving as s a Radioman First Class on the USS Portland. While on the “Sweet Pea,” he edited the newspaper and served as the ship's historian. He credited his high school teachers for his ability to write and think historically. He was a veteran of the Battles of Coral Sea, Midway, and the Guadalcanal Campaign. When Stofer was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1946, he attended community college at what is now SUNY Plattsburgh, and he finished his education at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. See the list of past recipients.

Eligibility

Only community college or public high school faculty who are members of the Association are eligible to apply for the Stofer Travel Grants. Please note: No individual is eligible to receive more than one travel grant. Preference will be given to those who have not previously received an award.

Application Process

Log into your MY AHA account at historians.org/myaha. Click “Available Application Forms” in the AHA Awards, Grants, and Jobs section. Select the ““James G. Stofer Annual Meeting Travel Grants” link.

1. Fill in the application form, which includes your contact information and a statement describing how you would benefit from attending the annual meeting.
2. Upload an Application Packet as a single PDF. Include the following document:
   • CV (up to 2 pages)
3. Letters of recommendation are NOT required.

Selection Process

Recipients will be selected by lottery, and successful applicants will be notified by email in early December. Please, no phone calls.

Requirements

After the annual meeting, successful applicants will be expected to write a 250-word reflection on a session they attended. Reflections should not be a summary but rather a provocative and interesting reaction.

Award Distribution

Grantees will receive payments after submitting travel receipts and a 250-word reflection on a session attended at the meeting.

For questions, please contact the Prize Administrator.