WASHINGTON, D.C. and POLAND — Mr. Logan Landry, a teacher at Bruce M. Whittier Middle School in Poland, Maine, was nominated for the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year award in the junior 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 middle school teacher for this award, and Mr. Landry is the junior division nominee from Maine. Every nominee for the $10,000 award is a teacher who demonstrates a commitment to engaging students in historical learning through 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.
“The nominees for the Behring Award have shown a dedication to teaching that goes beyond the classroom,” said Dr. Cathy Gorn, National History Day Executive Director. “These educators are leading examples for their peers and invaluable resources for their students. I congratulate Mr. Landry on his well-deserved nomination.”
The national winner will be selected by a committee of experienced teachers and historians, and announced on Saturday, June 19, 2021, 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 National History Day in Maine
National History Day in Maine is sponsored by the University of Maine, the Margaret Chase Smith Foundation, Maine Masonic College, and the Maine Humanities Council. Headquartered at the Margaret Chase Smith Library in Skowhegan, the program serves over 1,000 Maine students a year. Regional Contests typically take place in Lewiston, Bangor and Poland. NHD in ME is always looking to expand, and plans to create an event in Presque Isle in 2022 are underway. The State Contest is held at the University of Maine. Due to COVID-19, the 2021 contest season is all virtual. All regional contests have been combined into a one day event call “Draft Day” on April 2, and the State Contest is May 8. For more information visit www.mcslibrary.org/national-history-day-in-maine/ or contact State Coordinator John Taylor at [email protected] or 207-474-7133.