Ms. Mackenzie Hunter, a teacher at Long Trail School in Dorset, Vermont, and Ms. Kathleen Forrestal, a teacher at Lyndon Town School in Lyndonville, Vermont, were nominated for the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year award in concurrence with National History Day (NHD). The award is sponsored by Patricia Behring in recognition of the pivotal role teachers play in students' lives.
Each of the 58 NHD affiliates may nominate one high school and one middle school teacher for this award. Ms. Hunter is the Vermont nominee in the senior division, and Ms. Forrestal in the junior. Every nominee for the $10,000 award is a teacher demonstrating a commitment to engaging students in historical learning through innovative use of primary sources, implementation of active learning strategies to foster historical thinking skills, and participation in the National History Day Contest. All contenders will receive $500 for their nominations.
"The nominees for the Behring Award have shown a dedication to teaching that goes beyond the classroom," said Dr. Cathy Gorn, National History Day Executive Director. "These educators are leading examples for their peers and invaluable resources for their students."
A committee of experienced teachers and historians will select a winner, announced on Saturday, June 19, at the NHD National Contest Awards Ceremony, held virtually this year. Nominees' work must clearly illustrate the development and use of creative teaching methods that engage students in history and help them make exciting discoveries about the past.
About National History Day® (NHD):
NHD is a non-profit organization based in College Park, Maryland that seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. The National History Day Contest was established in 1974 and currently engages more than half a million students every year in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. Students present their research as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. Projects compete first at the local and affiliate levels, where the top entries are invited to the National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park. NHD is sponsored in part by HISTORY®, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Park Service, Southwest Airlines, the Crown Family Foundation, The Better Angels Society, the Pritzker Military Museum & Library, and the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation. For more information, visit nhd.org.
About the Vermont Historical Society
Established in 1838, The Vermont Historical Society (VHS) is a non-profit organization that coordinates Vermont History Day and operates the Vermont History Museum in Montpelier, the Vermont History Center in Barre, and programming throughout the state. VHS engages both Vermonters and "Vermonters at heart" in the exploration of our state's rich history through educational programming, publishing, and online resources for history lovers and students at home. Visit the Society's website at www.vermonthistory.org.