Somerville Educator Up For National History Teacher Of The Year Award

SOMERVILLE, MA – Former Somerville High School history teacher Kevin Dua has received numerous Massachusetts honors over the past year, and he's now on the brink of capturing nationwide attention. Dua, a teacher at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, is one of 10 finalists for the 2017 National History Teacher of the Year award, presented annually by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

The organization dedicated to K-12 American history education named Dua the 2017 Massachusetts History Teacher of the Year, and he was also honored with the Kathleen Roberts Creative Leadership Award and the Don Salvucci Award for Excellence in Promoting Civics Education this year.

"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," James G. Basker, president of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, said in a release. "Teachers are the lifeblood of our students’ education, and these are the best of the best."

Dua is known for his innovative approach to engaging students. Over the past year, he has been the driving force behind projects such as kindness cards and the post-election Mannequin Challenge. He also was instrumental in highlighting several student-led efforts on his YouTube channel, such as a push for free feminine hygiene products in the girls' bathrooms that ultimately led to the installment of dispensing units at Somerville High School.

In class, Dua makes history come alive for his students. One such exercise was simulating a 19th century factory shop to further his students' understanding of the origins of the feminist movement.

The History Teacher of the Year Award honors exceptional American history teachers from elementary through high school. Each year, Gilder Lehrman names a winner from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools and U.S. territories. This is the first year the committee has selected a group of finalists from the state honorees.

The winner, to be announced in October, will receive a $10,000 prize presented by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Eric Foner at a ceremony in New York City on Nov. 8. Past presenters at the ceremony have included the Hon. Sandra Day O'Connor, Good Morning America's Robin Roberts, First Lady Laura Bush, former U.S. 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.

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Dua as a current teacher at Somerville High School. He now works at Cambridge Rindge and Latin.

Image via Kevin Dua