The news is out: the selections have been made for this year's 10 national finalists for the History Teacher of the Year. While I was not among the top ten, I remain impressed with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. I discovered the institute a couple of years ago and quickly signed up for my school to be an affiliate school. The Institute provides a free monthly offer of educational materials - books, posters, and other items - for any school that requests them, and I have been privileged to have received many such materials. Their materials, lesson plans, and curricula is based on primary documents and ideally not political agendas or bias.
My students soon learned of the National History Teacher of the Year award, also sponsored and overseen by Gilder Lehrman, and a couple of the students soon nominated me for the award. I applied at their request, and in July of this year, I was informed that I will receive an award as the Missouri History Teacher of the Year.
While the philanthropy of the institute and its efforts to spread the documented history of the American experience, the general public, and even educators, are unaware of its operations. Here is how the institute is introduced on their website's About page:
My students soon learned of the National History Teacher of the Year award, also sponsored and overseen by Gilder Lehrman, and a couple of the students soon nominated me for the award. I applied at their request, and in July of this year, I was informed that I will receive an award as the Missouri History Teacher of the Year.
While the philanthropy of the institute and its efforts to spread the documented history of the American experience, the general public, and even educators, are unaware of its operations. Here is how the institute is introduced on their website's About page:
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History was founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, visionaries and lifelong supporters of American history education. The Institute is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to K–12 history education while also serving the general public. Its mission is to promote the knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources.
At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. Drawing on the 75,000 documents in the Gilder Lehrman Collection and an extensive network of eminent historians, the Institute provides teachers, students, and the general public with direct access to unique primary source materials.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is supported through the generosity of individuals, corporations, and foundations. The Institute’s programs have been recognized by awards from the White House, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Organization of American Historians, and the Council of Independent Colleges.
I am very pleased to have been selected as this year's Missouri History Teacher of the Year, and I was honored to be considered for the national award, but there is a possibility of an ongoing relationship with Gilder Lehrman moving forward. I am in contact with the institute's curriculum and education leadership and hope to work with them in an expanded role in the near future.
