The Jack Miller Center, an educational non-profit committed to civic education, recently announced the winners of the Teaching America250 Awards. The 51 teachers selected represent each state and Washington, D.C. We are proud to announce that Ashlee Happy, from Haggard Middle School, was the winner from the State of Texas.
Ms. Happy is an eighth grade U.S. history teacher. She has 11 years of experience teaching. She is a U.S. Air Force veteran, a National Board Certification candidate and a member of the Teacher Advisory Council for the National Constitution Center.
Each recipient will receive $5,000 in funding for a project of their own design that engages students with the history of America’s founding and the ideals of the Declaration. Projects include field trips to museums and state capitals, school assemblies, student art projects and community events.
Winners were selected through a review process by JMC staff, board members and members of the National Civics Council. Proposals were evaluated on multiple aspects, including relevance to the Declaration of Independence and its central themes, student engagement, creativity and feasibility.
Ms. Happy plans to use the award grant to create a “Night at the Museum”–style experience where students become historians, curators and storytellers of the American founding. Students will research the Declaration of Independence and related founding-era figures, events and ideas, then design interactive exhibits using artifacts, primary sources and multimedia displays. The evening will also include a birthday cake to mark the nation’s 250th birthday and a community Declaration piece where students, families and guests contribute reflections on the ideals of liberty, equality and civic responsibility. Her goal is to invite the wider community into student learning and turn this important historical event into a shared, living experience.