“There are likely scores of programs that deserve kudos for outstanding efforts at reaching out to students, volunteers, and the interested public in the field of archaeology. This has often been done through field schools, volunteer opportunities, special exhibitions and educational programs, and news releases of new developments and discoveries for public readership consumption. In support of these efforts, the prestigious Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) recently launched a program designed to recognize programs that exemplified a dedication to promoting archaeology to the wider public. Beginning new in 2011, AIA’s Excavation Outreach Contest has considered application entries from a variety of archaeological excavation and research programs, evaluating them based on the Institute’s professed motto, “Excavate, Educate, Advocate”. They chose their winner for 2012 — the Maya Research Program (MRP). ”
Read More Here: http://popular-archaeology.com/issue/march-2012/article/archaeological-research-program-receives-special-recognition-from-archaeological-institute-of-america