SAN LUIS, Arizona- Longtime San Luis High School teacher Ian McDougall has been named the 2022 Arizona History Teacher of the Year, an award presented annually by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to K-12 American history education.
“It is an honor to win the prestigious award of 2022 Arizona History Teacher of the Year,” McDougall said. “The Gilder Lehrman State History Teacher of the Year is the top state award for history teachers and I am filled with pride at being this year’s Arizona recipient. It makes it even more rewarding to be nominated for the award by my students who push me to improve and are willing to laugh when I fail trying something new. Their energy in my class each day makes the work worth it.”
McDougall has been a teacher for 18 years, including the past 17 at San Luis. He has attended summer history seminars at Oxford University and University of Virginia through the Gilder Lehrman Institute. Their program helped him to earn his Master’s Degree in American History while continuing to teach and coach at SLHS. He has served as the Advanced Placement (AP) teacher in US History, AP World History: Modern, and in the past years as San Luis’ AP European History teacher. In addition, McDougall has worked as an adjunct professor of history at Arizona Western College since 2018.
“Knowledgeable and impassioned teachers bring our country’s history to life for students, allowing them to understand engaging with history is about more than a series of facts,” said James G. Basker, President of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. “Teachers are the lifeblood of our students’ education, and these are the best of the best.”
Inaugurated in 2004, 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 K-12 teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools and US Territories.
“Along with being a passionate history teacher Mr. McDougall creates engaging lessons,” SLHS Principal Rob Jankowski said. “Using various AVID strategies that focus on writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization and reading, Mr. McDougall’s students maintain a high level of engagement. Mr. McDougall is able to create such engaging history lessons by staying current with the history curriculum.”
In addition to a $1,000 honorarium, McDougall receives a core archive of American history books and Gilder Lehrman educational materials, recognition at a local ceremony in his honor, and becomes one of 53 finalists for the 2022 National History Teacher of the Year Award.
The winner of this year’s National History Teacher of the Year Award will be announced in October 2022. Past presenters of the award include the Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor, Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts, First Lady Laura Bush, former US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Nominations for the 2023 History Teacher of the Year awards are now open. Students, parents, colleagues, and supervisors may nominate K-12 teachers for the award by visiting gilderlehrman.org/nhtoy. The deadline for 2023 nominations is April 30, 2023.
About the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History was founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, visionaries and lifelong supporters of American history education. The Institute is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to K–12 history education while also serving the general public. Its mission is to promote the knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is supported through the generosity of individuals, corporations, and foundations. The Institute’s programs have been recognized by awards from the White House, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Organization of American Historians, the Council of Independent Colleges, and the National Daughters of the American Revolution.