Tikkun Olam Prize for Promoting Public Historical Literacy

The Tikkun Olam Prize for Promoting Public Historical Literacy addresses a major problem in American public culture, which inhibits the operation of democratic institutions and processes: the breadth and depth of historical illiteracy. This prize honors individuals whose work has promoted literacy in public culture, with the abiding hope that such work will indeed help 'to repair the world.' The award seeks to recognize sustained historical work that contributes significantly to historical literacy, defined as meaningful knowledge about the past, historical context, and ability to think historically and critically, in American public culture. The prize emphasizes history education broadly construed beyond the academy, with no limitations on genre, venue, or topic. The recipient is recommended by the executive director and AHA president for approval by the AHA Council, announced each fall, and presented at the Association's annual meeting.