Dr. Amma inspires National History Day students, parents, and teachers during her 2014 Keynote at the national competition (College Park, MD). Photo by Route 1 Multimedia.
SERVICE
"In any environment, I seek to make a positive contribution that allows everyone around me the freedom to use their gifts and talents for the benefit of society.”
- Dr. Amma
Dr. Amma's service and outreach work can be viewed through three lenses:
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Contributions of her research area and work to the public, corporations, and national venues through creative executive leadership, strategic planning, public speaking, and dialogue facilitation;
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Leadership and committee positions on national boards; and
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Giving back through mentorship, advocacy, and community outreach.
FEATURED SERVICE ACTIVITY: NATIONAL HISTORY DAY
One of Dr. Amma's most humbling service contribution has been for the National History Day competition, the nation’s leading history education program for 6th-12th grade students. A recipient of the 2011 National Humanities Award given by then U.S.President Barack Obama, the competition is akin to the stature of the Scripps Spelling Bee for Language Arts and the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology. Junior high and high school students, individually or in teams, conduct college-level research on a historical topic of their choosing and then present their work either as a paper, a museum exhibit, a documentary, or a live performance. Over half a million students enter the competition each year from all over the country and the world, with the top 2000 students (approximately) reaching the national competition held at the University of Maryland. The competition also inspired Dr. Amma's current career path to use the stage and screen to tell history. In addition to her mother and artist Joan Maynard, Dr. Amma still credits her high school teachers Mickey Bogart and Crystal Johnson for changing her life when they mentored her as a National History Day participant. Under their teaching, Dr. Amma created an award-winning solo historical performance entitled "Joseph Cinque and the Amistad Incident: Taking a Stand for Freedom." She performed her solo show nationally at venues including the National Archives and the Keel Laying Ceremony of the Amistad replica at Mystic Seaport Museum (Mystic, CT).
Dr. Amma speaks during her 2014 Keynote at the National History Day National Competition (College Park, MD).
Photo by Route 1 Multimedia.