Honoring Outstanding Arizona Educators & Students in the Social Studies (History, Economics, Geography, and Civics/Government)

The Robert J. Stahl Student Teacher Scholarship Award was established in 2008 to support an Arizona pre-service student teacher who plans to enter the field of teaching K-12 social studies. It has been named after one of Arizona's strongest supporters and proponent of the social studies, Professor Robert J. Stahl of Arizona State University. For many years Dr. Stahl has served the ACSS and the National Council for the Social Studies in many capacities, including having served as President of both organizations. This $1000.00 scholarship includes a year’s membership in both the ACSS and the NCSS and is intended to offset costs associated with the semester of student teaching. Download applications here - Due by May 15, 2013

Congratulations to the 2012 recipient, Aubrey Porter, of Northern Arizona University.

Aubrey will be student teaching during the spring 2013 semester. Aubrey is completing her Bachelor's degree in History and Secondary Education. She has worked at the Arizona Historical Society in Flagstaff as an assistant curator, travelled to Ecuador and China, and has numerous interests including hiking, skiing, photography and the arts.

Past recipients of the Stahl Scholarship:

2011 - Mia McShane, Northern Arizona University
2010 - Stephanie R.Hall, University of Arizona
2009 - Marisa Tualla, University of Arizona
2008 - Deborah Painter-Plimley, Arizona State University

The National Council for Geographic Education Announces 2012 Award Winners from Arizona

Trevor Browne history teacher, Suzanne Vogt, and Pueblo Middle School teacher, Danna Lagerquist, were selected as the 2012 recipients of the K-12 Distinguished Teacher awards.

The award recipients were honored during the NCGE annual Conference on Geographic Education in San Marcos, TX on October 6, 2012. A large group of Arizona educators attended the ceremony to help recognize the great achievement of these two teachers. Suzanne serves on the ACSS Board of Directors and is a teacher in the Phoenix Union High School System. Danna teaches in the Kyrene School District in Chandler. Both are active with the Arizona Geographic Alliance and the Arizona Council for the Social Studies.

For more information about the NCGE award program and application process, visit http://www.ncge.org/awards

2012 Abraham Lincoln Fellowships Awarded to Four Outstanding Arizona Teachers

Betty H. Fairfax history teacher Ryan Ussery of Laveen, Payne Junior High School teacher Sean Murphy of Queen Creek, Tamara Jagodzinski of Mountainside Middle School in Scottsdale, and ACSS Board Member Cheri Stegall of Cocopah Middle School in Scottsdale were selected as the 2012 Horace Mann-Abraham Lincoln Fellowship award winners from Arizona.

The Fellowship is open to any full-time teacher of Kindergarten through 12th grade of any discipline in the U.S. Horace Mann Insurance will award 50 Fellowships to teachers in the U.S., featuring a five-day Institute in June and July at the ALPLM in Springfield, Ill. The Fellowship will include round-trip transportation, lodging and most meals.

Check out the Horace Mann-Abraham Lincoln Fellowship program at http://www.horacemann.com/teacher-lounge/fellowship-program

Canyon Valley history teacher, Larry Dexter, was selected as the 2011 Horace Mann-Abraham Lincoln Fellowship award winner from Arizona.

Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History honors American history teachers through its National History Teacher of the Year Award. The 2011 Award will honor a K-6 grade teacher. You may nominate a fellow Arizona teacher for this singular award at the Gilder-Lehrman website - click here.

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is taking nominations for their teacher of the year award. Nominees must be secondary (grades 7-12) teachers of U.S. History. Winners for each state get $1000; the national winner gets $10,000. For more information, go to:  http://www.gilderlehrman.org/education/htoy_overview.php 

Congratulations to Past Arizona winners:

2012: Barbara Hatch
Cactus Shadows High School, Cave Creek

2011: Kathryn Bauer
Patterson Elementary School , Mesa

2010: Nancie Lindblom
Skyline High School , Mesa

2009: Kate Gilbert
Safford Middle School , Tucson

2008: Gina Bedene
Mountain Ridge High School, Phoenix

2006: Heather E. Robinson
Desert Canyon Elementary School, Scottsdale

2005: L. Mark Sweeney
Cactus Shadows High School, Cave Creek

We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution

The primary goal of We the People: The Citizen and the Constitutionis to promote civic competence and responsibility among the nation' elementary and secondary students. The design of the instructional program, including its innovative culminating activity, makes the program successful with both teachers and students. The program enjoys the active participation of members of Congress, as well as support from educational, professional, business, and community organizations across the nation. Since the inception of the We the People program in 1987, more than 30 million students and 90,000 educators have participated in this innovative course of study.

2011-2012 Arizona Competition Results

First Place:                Corona del Sol High School - Teacher Timothy Smith
Second Place:            Hamilton High School - Teacher Abby Dupke
Third Place:               Skyline High School - Teacher Jill Benza
Fourth Place:             Prescott High School - Teacher Mark Goligoski
Unit 1 Award:             Lake Havasu High School - Teacher Jaime Festa-Daigle
Unit 2 Award:             Marcos de Niza High School - Teacher David Dotts
Unit 3 Award:             Red Mountain High School - Teacher Jaime Leverington
Unit 4 Award:             Maricopa High School - Teacher Bernadette Russoniello
Unit 5 Award:            Gilbert Classical Academy - Teacher Mandy Wright
Unit 6 Award:             Rio Rico High School - Teacher Kent Barter

Corona del Sol High School will represent Arizona at the National Competition at George Mason University in Virginia, April 27-May 1, 2012!

For more information on participating in the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitutionprogram, contact state coordinator Susan Nusall of the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education.

James Madison Memorial Fellows

The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation awards highly competititve fellowships to future and current secondary school teachers of American history, American government, or social studies in grades 7-12 to support their graduate study of the roots, principles, framing, and development of the United States Constitution.

The Foundation awards James Madison Fellowships to college seniors and college graduates without teaching experience (Junior Fellows) and to experienced secondary school teachers (Senior Fellows). Located in Washington, D.C., the Foundation has a Board of Trustees consisting of twelve members appointed by the President of the United States. Public law creating the Foundation specifies that two Senators, two members of the House of Representatives, two members of the federal judiciary, one governor, two members of the general public and three academics must serve on the board. With the exception of the federal judiciary and the Secretary of Education, the Board is evenly split between the Democratic and Republican parties. For more information on applying click here.

Directory of Arizona Fellows:

1992      Crystal M. Soltero - Tucson - University of Arizona
1993      Tonni M. Tenuta - Mesa - Arizona State University
1994      Laurie A. Morris - Sanders - Northern Arizona University
1995      George A. Thomson - Nogales - University of Arizona
1996      Clayton D. Lucas - Northern Arizona University
1997      Carolyn Brennan - Tucson - University of Arizona
1998      Kenneth F. de Masi - Mesa - Arizona State University
1999      Matthew E. Nichols - Stanford University
2000      Lisa A. Carotenuto - University of Arizona
2001      Lesle K. Cleary - Prescott - Northern Arizona University
2001      Martha G. Taylor - University of Arizona
2003      Michael B. Suchowierski - Kingman - Northern Arizona University
2004      Edward W. Denny - Tempe - Arizona State University
2005      Megan M. Kirts - Tucson - University of Arizona
2006      Jennifer A. Spensieri - Northern Arizona University
2007      Nichole D. Evans - Gilbert - Ashland University
2008      Tiffany D. Frane - Chandler - American Public University
2009      Daniel W. Jordan - Northern Arizona University
2010      Jaime Leverington - Arizona State University
2011      Nancie Lindblom - Mesa - Ashland University
2012      Allison M. Fluke - Rio Rico - Rio Rico High School