MOUNT VERNON, VA – George Washington’s Mount Vernon has named Gretchen Snyder, a history teacher Westfield High School in Chantilly, Virginia, as its 2017 History Teacher of the Year. Snyder will receive a $5,000 prize and an all-expense paid trip to George Washington’s Mount Vernon for up to 200 students. 2017 marks the 10th anniversary of this special award, which celebrates educators dedicated and passionate about teaching history.
“At Mount Vernon we honor teachers who bring history to life for their students,” said Mount Vernon’s vice president for education, Allison Wickens. “Snyder’s skills in the classroom transform her students’ learning experiences and help them build meaningful connections with historical events and individuals. With educators like her, we can ensure George Washington’s relevance and the world he lived in remains an indelible part of education today.”
Snyder has 15 years’ experience as a history teacher and currently serves as the Social Studies Department Chair and National History Day Coordinator at Westfield High School. She served on the Review Committee for the Virginia Department of Education’s Standards of Learning for US History from 2013-2015.
A colleague wrote of Snyder’s work: “Gretchen is overwhelmingly successful at producing students who can look at history as more than simply facts, but as living information that needs to be analyzed and connected to understand the modern world.”
Mount Vernon has selected Lindsey Fisher, a history teacher at McLean High School in McLean, Virginia, as its runner up for the History Teacher of the Year award. Fisher will receive tickets to George Washington’s Mount Vernon for up to 75 students and chaperones.
For more information, please visit mountvernon.org/teacheroftheyear.
###
