The Institute for Field Research is proud to recognize the program directors of our Monastic Midlands field schools for their contribution to A Practitioner’s Guide to Public Archaeology, which has been named the 2026 recipient of the Society for American Archaeology (SAA) Outstanding Public Archaeology Initiative Award.

SAA’s Outstanding Public Archaeology Initiative Award highlights short-term projects that demonstrate meaningful and effective outreach. This year’s award-winning publication, edited by Elizabeth Reetz and Stephanie Sperling, responds to a common challenge in the field: while public engagement is widely recognized as essential, many archaeologists receive little formal training in how to design, implement, and assess impactful programs. The volume brings together decades of practitioner experience through its 38 contributors, all sharing practical, accessible, field-tested ideas and techniques for implementing effective public archaeology programs.

Denis Shine and Stephan Mandal of the Irish Heritage School and IFR’s Monastic Midlands field schools, contributed a chapter titled “The Effects of COVID-19 on Public Archaeology: A View from Ireland,” which offers a candid account of their experience sustaining publicly engaged work in the midst of a global health crisis. “As a company who try very hard to help the communities we work with (and in) enjoy the tangible economic benefits of heritage, as well as the intangible value of heritage as a vehicle to build a sense of belonging and pride of place, we are beyond thrilled to gain this recognition,” they shared in response to the award announcement.