INDIANAPOLIS — Andrew Smith, a teacher at Scecina Memorial High School on the eastside, has been named the 2017 Indiana History Teacher of the Year. A panel of Indiana teachers, administrators, and scholars selected Mr. Smith for this prestigious award. The award is presented annually by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to K-12 American history education.
Mr. Smith received his B.A. degree in American History from Hobart College in Geneva, N.Y., with a triple minor in Education, Russian Studies and Religious Studies. He received his M.A.in American History from George Mason University. He has taught at Scecina since 2012.
Besides being an excellent classroom teacher, Smith is the moderator for the robotics, chess and debate clubs, as well as the Scecina chapter of Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society. He also has organized and led overseas educational tours for Scecina students. This year, he escorted Scecina students on a tour of Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris and London.
In fall 2017, the National History Teacher of the Year will be selected from the pool of state winners.
Mr. Smith will receive a $1,000 honorarium at an award ceremony in Indiana. Scecina’s library will receive a core archive of American history books and Gilder Lehrman educational materials. Mr. Smith will be invited to a 2018 Gilder Lehrman Teacher Seminar, a weeklong program that offers teachers daily discussions with eminent historians, visits to historic sites, and hands-on work with primary sources.
