Savini, Maria

A bit about me...

-My parents were born in Italy and I speak fluent Italian. 

-I have no children; however, I am thrilled to be an aunt! My brother Franco and his wife, Yvonne, have four children named Julian, Giada, Guinevere and Kailey.  I adopted two kitties named Milo and Finn who enjoy chasing bird toys and waking me up each morning at 4:30 am so they can eat. 

-I enjoy drawing/painting with watercolors, collecting Early American antiques, period decor, reading and traveling to historic destinations/art museums.

-I am a lifelong learner, always on the lookout for new learning opportunities! I have been selected to participate in a number of competitive professional development programs over the years:

-2022, Albert H. Small Normancy Institute Head Teacher.  In my final year in my capacity as head teacher (a two year stint), my student Audrey McCollum and I researched the life of PFC Harry M. Thoraldson of Bridgeport who lost his life during the D-Day Campaign.  Audrey presented her briefing topic and delivered her eulogy for her soldier at his grave in Normandy, France.

-2021, Albert H. Small Normandy Institute Head Teacher.  We spent a week studying World War II at George Washington University and visited the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, VA (Covid restrictions did not allow us to travel to France).

-2020, HistoryQuest Fellowship for Teachers.  The program usually takes place on the Princeton Campus, but this year, we participated virtually.  This in-service focused upon integrating games into the History Classroom.

-2019, Albert H. Small Normandy Institute.  Had the opportunity to research the life of a local soldier who lost his life during the D-Day invasion with my student, Noor Bukhani.  We spent a week at George Washington University learning about Operation Overlord with other teacher/student teams from around the country.  Afterwards, we embarked upon our trip to Normandy, France.  There, we were able to visit the sites associated with the D-Day campaign. The experience culminated with Noor eulogizing our soldier at the American Cemetary in Normandy.  A moving and life changing experience to say the least.

-2018, George Washington Teacher Institute Summer Residential Program, "Leadership and Legacy: Lessons From George Washington."  (Mt. Vernon)

-2017, Gilder Lehrman Institute: "The Kennedy Presidency" (Boston University).

-2017, Scholarship to attend the Colonial Williamsburg Institute for High School Teachers (Williamsburg, VA).

-2016, National Endowment of the Humanities Workshop: "Demon Times: Temperance, Immigration and  Prohibition" (Columbus, OH).

-2015, Gilder Lehrman Institute: "The Story of World War II" (The National WWII Museum in New Orleans).

-2014, National Endowment of the Humanities Workshop: "America's Industrial Revolution at the Henry Ford" (The Henry Ford Museum in Detroit, Michigan).

-2014, scholarship to attend "The Medal of Honor Legacy at the Freedom's Foundation" (Valley Forge). In 2014, I received The Sons of the American Revolution Teaching Excellence Award.

-2013, National Endowment of the Humanities Workshop: "Living on the Edge  of Empire: Alliance, Conflict and Captivity in Colonial New England" (Historic Deerfield, Massachusetts).

-2012, Gilder Lehrman/National Endowment of the Humanities Workshop: "Empire City: New York from 1877-Present" (Columbia University, NY).

-2011, National Endowment of the Humanities Workshop: "Abolitionism, Women's Rights and Religious Revivalism on the Rochester Reform  Trail" (Rochester & Seneca Falls, NY).

From 2008-2011, I participated in the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit's "Teaching American History Grant Program." TAH provided lectures from distinguished scholars and modeled new pedagogical approaches to history education. I also attended the capstone, "Teaching the American Civil Rights Institute" in 2011.

During the summer of 2010, I spent four weeks studying Constitutionalism at Georgetown University as part of my James Madison Memorial Fellowship for Teachers.  In 2008, I was awarded this fellowship (representing the State of Pennsylvania) which provided a scholarship to attend Villanova University. In 2014, I graduated summa cum laude from Villanova with a second master's degree (American History) and was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi (Graduate) and Phi Alpha Theta (History) Honor Societies.

-2009, National Endowment of the Humanities Workshop: "Lowell and the  Industrial Revolution" (Lowell National Historical Park, MA). I investigated the origins and implications of the Industrial Revolution on  American society.

-In 2008, I was awarded the James Madison Memorial Fellowship for the State of Pennsylvania (one Fellowship being awarded to one teacher from each State).  As part of the Fellowship, received $24,000 to obtain a Master's Degree in American History at Villanova University.  In 2010, I took part in a month long intensive study of Constitutional History at Georgetown University. 

-2006, Gilder Lehrman Institute: "The Colonial Era: Structure & Texture"

(Yale University). I had the opportunity to study with the foremost Social Historian of the Colonial Era, Dr. John Demos.

-In 2006, I was also selected to represent the State of Pennsylvania during the first ever Presidential Academy for American History and Civics.  During this fourteen-day seminar, we explored the Declaration of Independence, Gettysburg Address and "I Have a Dream" Speech in the cities associated with their inception (Philadelphia, Gettysburg and Washington D.C.).