News Release

May 21, 2018

GRAND ISLAND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER NAMED 2018 NEBRASKA HISTORY TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Tracy Jakubowski, an American history teacher at Grand Island Senior High School was recently named the 2018 State History Teacher of the Year, an award sponsored by The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

The History Teacher of the Year Award highlights the crucial importance of history education by honoring exceptional American history teachers from elementary school through high school. The award honors one exceptional K-12 teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools, and US Territories.

Jakubowski puts an emphasis on building relationships with her students. “Knowing our students inside and out is what enables us to reach them on a level that will ignite their love for learning,” says Jakubowski. She shows that relationship by acting as a facilitator in the classroom, allowing students to take responsibility for learning.

Jakubowski will receive a $1,000 award and Grand Island Senior High School will become a Gilder Lehrman Affiliate School and will receive history books and educational materials from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Jakubowski will also be one of 53 finalists for the $10,000 National History Teacher of the Year Award and will receive an invitation to a 2019 Gilder Lehrman Teacher Seminar, a weeklong program which offers teachers daily discussions with eminent historians, visits to historic sites, and hands-on work with primary sources.

Jakubowski will be honored with the award at the Nebraska State Council for the Social Studies annual conference on May 31^st.  More information on the conference can be found at http://www.nebraskasocialstudiescouncil.org/annual-conference.html.

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