Somerville High School Teacher Receives Statewide Award

SOMERVILLE, MA – Somerville High School history teacher Kevin Dua keeps his students engaged long after the final bell has rung. Over the past year, he has been the driving force behind projects such as kindness cards and the post-election Mannequin Challenge.

Dua has also been instrumental in highlighting several student-led efforts on his YouTube channel, such as a recent push for free feminine hygiene products in the girls' bathrooms. That ultimately led to the announcement that dispensing units would be installed around Somerville High School.

Dua's approach allows the student to be the star. For projects like the kindness cards, he posed an idea – "checking the pulse" of a friend, classmate, colleague or loved one – and his students ran with it, effectively "checking the pulse" of the entire school.

Now, it's Dua's turn in the spotlight. The Massachusetts Council for the Social Studies (MCSS) named him this year's winner of the Don Salvucci Award for Excellence in Promoting Civics Education, an annual award that recognizes a Bay State educator who has "demonstrated exceptional ability in the field of civics education."

"I was wholeheartedly surprised by the recognition a few weeks ago. I owe much gratitude to Dr. Darius Green (SHS Housemaster), Beverly Mosby (SHS Choir Director), and Catherine Wong (Boston College Lynch School of Education Director) for nominating me for this honor," Dua wrote in an email. "I have always been appreciative for the motivation that Somerville High School has allowed me to creatively explore history with students."

Winners are selected by the organization's executive board, which is comprised of current and retired social studies teachers and department chairs. Dua will receive the award at the annual MCSS awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 10.

Image via Kevin Dua