August 26, 2021
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Nevada Department of
Education (NDE) celebrates Brooke Wheatley, a teacher at Valley High
School in Clark County School District, who has been named the 2021 Nevada
History Teacher of the Year. History Teacher of the Year is an award presented
annually by the Gilder Lehrman
Institute of American History, the nation’s leading organization
dedicated to K-12 American history education.
“Ms.
Wheatley is an exemplary Nevada social studies educator, and I am thrilled to
see her talents and efforts recognized on a national stage,” said Jhone
Ebert, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. “Her passion for history
is contagious and I am grateful that past, current, and future cohorts of students
have had the opportunity to learn from her and leave the classroom as engaged
and informed citizens.”
In
2021, parents, students, teachers, and administrators nationwide nominated a
record 8,510 teachers for the History Teacher of the Year Award. Amidst a very
competitive field, Ms. Wheatley rose to the top in Nevada.
Wheatley
received her bachelor’s degree in 2003 from Warner Pacific College in business
administration and social science and earned her National Board Certification
in Social Studies in December 2020. She creates a classroom atmosphere in which
history is directly connected to students’ lives through lessons including simulations
of World War II scenarios, analyzing community-based issues, and facilitating civil
discourse among her students.
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. In fall 2021, the National History Teacher of the Year will be
selected from the pool of state winners.
In
addition to a $1,000 honorarium provided to Ms. Wheatley, her school will
receive a core archive of American history books and Gilder Lehrman educational
materials.
The
10 finalists for the National History Teacher of the Year Award will be
announced on Thursday, September 9, with the national winner announced later
that month. An in-person ceremony for the winner will be held in late fall
2021, health and safety protocols permitting.
Nominations for the
2022 History Teacher of the Year are now open. Students, parents,
colleagues, and supervisors may nominate K-12 teachers for the award by visiting
this webpage. The deadline for 2022 nominations is March 31, 2022.
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About
the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
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 70,000 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.