Alexandria City High School math teacher Essie Jones received the Teaching America250 Award from educational nonprofit the Jack Miller Center.
The award was presented to 51 teachers — one from each state and Washington, DC. It gives each recipient $5,000 to develop and implement an educational project on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. This comes just ahead of the U.S. semi-quincentennial this July 4.
“The Teaching America250 Award winners are introducing the next generation to the essential ideas, stories, and documents of America’s civic tradition,” said Hans Zeiger, the president of the Jack Miller Center. “Through their projects, these amazing educators will make America’s 250th birthday a memorable experience for thousands of students across the country.”
Each awardee will design a project that engages students with the history of America’s founding and ideals of the declaration. Potential projects can include field trips to museums and state capitals, school assemblies, student art projects, and community events.
Jones’ program will emphasize expanding students’ understanding of the “history, rhetoric, visual culture, and modern preservation attempts of the declaration.” It will include in-class discussion and field trips to the National Archives and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. The project will culminate in a public assembly titled “Echoes of Independence,” highlighting student research and art.
Select winners of the Teaching America250 Award will also attend JMC’s National Summit on Civic Education or the Civic Learning Week National Forum, hosted by iCivics and the Democratic Knowledge Project.
The Jack Miller Center is a nonprofit, based in Philadelphia, that focuses on supporting educators and advancing civic education in the U.S.
Featured image of Essie Jones, Teaching America250 recipient, courtesy Essie Jones
