TWO RHODE ISLAND EDUCATORS NOMINATED FOR NATIONAL HISTORY DAY® TEACHER OF THE YEAR
April 11, 2022, College Park, MD–Two teachers from Rhode Island have been nominated for the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year award.
Mrs. Christine Costa, a teacher at Tiverton Middle School in Tiverton, Rhode Island has been nominated in the junior division of the National History Day (NHD) National Contest.
Mr. Michael Sollitto, a teacher at Toll Gate High School in Warwick, Rhode Island has been nominated 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 and one middle school teacher for this award, and Mrs. Costa and Mr. Sollitto are this year’s nominees from Rhode Island.
Every nominee for the $10,000 award is a teacher who demonstrates a commitment to engaging students in historical learning through the 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.
“This award recognizes the very best educators from across the nation and beyond,” said National History Day Executive Director Dr. Cathy Gorn.
“These educators are leaders and innovators in the teaching of history, and we are all the more impressed because of the extended difficult teaching circumstances due to the pandemic during the last year.
I wish to congratulate both Mrs. Costa and Mr. Sollitto on their well-deserved nominations.”
The national winner will be selected by a committee of experienced teachers and historians, and announced on Saturday, June 18, 2022, 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 Rhode Island History Day
Rhode Island has been a state affiliate of National History Day for over 30 years and the Rhode Island History Day program is proudly managed by the Rhode Island Historical Society. Rhode Island History Day allows students in grades 6-12 to deeply explore an aspect of history, gain research and critical-thinking skills, and creatively deliver their research findings. Annually, the Rhode Island History Day program engages over 1,000 students across the state.
About the Rhode Island Historical Society
The Rhode Island Historical Society, the state’s largest and oldest historical organization, is dedicated to honoring, interpreting, and sharing Rhode Island’s past to enrich the present and inspire the future.
Founded in 1822, the RIHS is an advocate for history as a
means to develop empathy and 21st-century skills, using its historical materials and knowledge to explore topics of timeless relevance and public interest through its four sites: the John Brown House Museum, the Museum of Work & Culture, the Mary Elizabeth Robinson Research Center, and the Aldrich House.
The headquarters of the Rhode Island Historical Society is located at 110 Benevolent Street, Providence, RI 02906. Information: (401) 331-8575.
Website:
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