Cambridge Teacher Named Finalist for the 2017 National History Teacher of the Year Award
Kevin Dua, the 2017 Massachusetts History Teacher of the Year, has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2017 National History Teacher of the Year Award. The award is presented annually by the
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to K-12 American history education.
"Knowledgeable and impassioned teachers bring our country's history to life for students, allowing them to understand engaging with history is about more than a series of facts,” said James G. Basker, President of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. “Teachers are the lifeblood of our students’ education, and these are the best of the best.”
Inaugurated in 2004, the History Teacher of the Year Award highlights the crucial importance of history education by honoring exceptional American history teachers from elementary school through high school. The award honors one K-12 teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools and US Territories. This is the first time the committee has selected a group of finalists from the state honorees. The National History Teacher of the Year will be selected from the pool of 10 finalists in October 2017.
Dua, a teacher at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, is known for his use of innovative tools to make history come alive for his students. For example, to further his students understanding of the origins of the feminist movement, Dua simulated a 19th century factory shop with desks set up in an assembly line, “work contracts” using actual primary sources from a mill factory company, and put his students to work creating “shirts” under his direction as foreman.
The winner of the National History Teacher of the Year award receives a $10,000 prize, presented by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Eric Foner at a ceremony in New York City on November 8, 2017. Past presenters at the ceremony include the Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor,
Good Morning America's Robin Roberts, First Lady Laura Bush, former US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Nominations for the 2018 History Teacher of the Year awards are now open. Students, parents, colleagues, and supervisors may nominate K-12 teachers for the award by visiting gilderlehrman.org/nhtoy. The deadline for 2018 nominations is March 30, 2018.
About the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Founded in 1994 by philanthropists Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is the leading American history nonprofit organization dedicated to K-12 education. With a focus on primary sources, the Gilder Lehrman Institute illuminates the stories, people and moments that inspire students of all ages and backgrounds to learn and understand more about history. Through a diverse portfolio of education programs, including the acclaimed Hamilton Education Program, the Gilder Lehrman Institute provides opportunities for nearly two million students, 30,000 teachers and 13,000 schools worldwide.
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