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Teachers from California, Montana, and Kentucky are the recipients of the 2008 American Civic Education Teacher Awards, recognizing their exemplary work in preparing young people to become informed and engaged citizens.
The 2008 ACETA recipients are, from left, Cheryl Cook-Kallio, Sally Broughton, and Julie Kuhnhein.
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Cheryl Cook-Kallio of Irvington High School in Fremont, California, Sally Broughton of Monforton School in Bozeman, Montana, and Julie Kuhnhein of Highlands High School in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, were presented with their awards during the Project Citizen coordinator conference at the Hilton Washington and Towers in October, 2008.
Charles N. Quigley, Executive Director of the Center for Civic Education, praised Broughton, Cook-Kallio and Kuhnhein for their commitment to teaching young people the responsibilities of citizenship in our democracy.
“These teachers are extraordinarily dedicated to giving their students a firm grasp of the fundamental values and principles of our constitutional system of government,” he said.
Former congressman Lee Hamilton, Director of the Center on Congress, thanked the award-winning teachers for “helping young people feel they are a part of something larger than themselves by connecting them to the splendid traditions of American civic engagement. They show their students how to use their talents to make their communities and their nation better.”
The awards are given annually to elementary and secondary school teachers of civics, government, and related subjects, who have demonstrated special expertise in motivating students to learn about the Constitution, Congress, and public policy.
“My goal is to develop in my students the civic knowledge, dispositions, virtues, and the intellectual and participatory skills to become reasoned, informed citizens,” said Sally Broughton of Montana. “I guide them by active learning; I want my students to feel empowered and pushed to the limits of their ability.”
“Education is a prerequisite for democracy. So is civic virtue," said California’s Cheryl Cook-Kallio. "Service learning and community service connect academics with real world learning opportunities. Civic education allows students to learn for the sake of learning.”
“Preparing our students to become productive and responsible members of society is the most important charge we have as educators," said Julie Kuhnhein of Kentucky. "This task is best accomplished by many people. I want to thank my colleagues from across the Commonwealth for their assistance. I look forward to working with the organizations sponsoring ACETA as we bring more attention to the cause of civic education.”
A video of this year’s recipients is available on the Center’s multimedia page.
ACETA, which began in 2006, is sponsored by the Center for Civic Education, the Center on Congress at Indiana University and the National Education Association. Each year the ACETA program selects and showcases three teachers whose students represent the diversity of the American public and private school systems. Applicants must be full-time classroom teachers of grades K–12.
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