BETTENDORF, IOWA (April 20, 2021) — Leigh Ann Schroeder, a teacher at Rivermont Collegiate in Bettendorf, Iowa, was nominated for the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year award in the senior division of the National History Day (NHD) National Contest. The award is sponsored by Patricia Behring in recognition of the pivotal role teachers play in the lives of students.
Each of the 58 National History Day affiliates may nominate one high-school teacher for this award, and Schroeder is the senior division nominee from Iowa. Every nominee for the $10,000 award is a teacher who demonstrates 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 nominees will receive $500 as a result of 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. I congratulate Mrs Schroeder on her well-deserved nomination.”
The national winner will be selected by a committee of experienced teachers and historians, and announced on Saturday, June 19, 2021, at the National History Day National Contest Awards Ceremony to be held virtually due to COVID-19. 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 National History Day in Iowa
Since 1994, the National History Day in Iowa program has been coordinated by the State Historical Society of Iowa, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. The year-long academic program encourages middle- and high-school students to conduct original research on historical topics. Students enter their projects at local and state contests, with top students advancing to the National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park.
About the State Historical Society of Iowa
The State Historical Society of Iowa is a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs and has been a trustee of Iowa’s historical legacy since 1857. With a dual mission of preservation and education, it maintains a museum, two research centers, a preservation office, and eight historic sites. The society preserves and provides access to Iowa’s historical resources through a variety of statewide programs, exhibitions, and projects while serving as an advocate for Iowa’s past and connector to the future. iowaculture.gov.
