Teaching Excellence Award

The Jack Miller Center invites applications for the fifth annual Teaching Excellence Award. The award recognizes exceptional teaching of America's founding principles and history at the college level.

We will select two scholars for recognition, one Junior Scholar and one Senior Scholar. The junior scholar award is open to any scholar who has not yet received tenure. The senior scholar award is open to a scholar, of any age or seniority, who has been tenured.

One applicant from each category will receive a $2,000 award.

We believe that your work as an educator creates engaged and thoughtful citizens. Through your wisdom, passion, and stewardship, the students of our nation will continue to grow as civic-minded thinkers. Civic learning depends on cultivating young minds through stories of hope, inspiration, and success. This is an opportunity to tell us how you engage students in the story of America through primary documents, new courses, and/or extracurricular activities.

The award is open to scholars in the fields of political science, history, philosophy, or other humanistic disciplines related to civic education, including literature.

We wish to recognize your efforts in and out of the classroom to inspire and educate your students in their roles as citizens of our republic.

Notice: The winner of the Teaching Excellence Award will be featured in JMC communications.

The submission deadline is Sunday, August 10 at 11:59 PM. The winner will be notified by September 1.

Application Form

First Name

Last Name

School Affiliation

Position Title

Phone Number

Please consider my nomination for the:

Junior Scholar AwardSenior Scholar Award

JMC affiliation (check all that apply)

I have attended a Jack Miller Center summer instituteI have received a program grant from the Jack Miller CenterI have attended a JMC event, conference, or sponsored programI am a JMC newsletter subscriberOther

Please answer the following questions, uploading your responses below in a single document.

1. How do you exemplify excellence in civic education? Tell us about the courses you teach or the extracurricular activities you lead. (max. 400 words)

2. Please describe your proudest moment teaching students about America and their role as citizens. Your response should consider the ways you engaged your students in America's founding principles and history, as well as how your students demonstrated intellectual growth and critical thought. (300-500 words)

Examples include:

innovative classroom lessons or activities
extracurricular activities
student growth stories or testimonials

3. Optional: Please upload a copy of a syllabus that demonstrates an effective way to teach America's founding principles and history

4. Optional: What should America be doing to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the declaration? How, if at all, do you plan to address this in your teaching?

Upload your responses to questions 1 & 2 here:

Upload a syllabus here:

Nomination Form

Your First Name

Your Last Name

Your Email

Your Phone Number

Nominee Information

Nominee's First Name

Nominee's Last Name

Nominee's Email

Nominee's Phone Number

Nominee's School Affiliation

Nominee's Specialization

Please consider this nominee for the:

Junior Scholar AwardSenior Scholar Award

What is your relationship to the nominee?

I work with the nominee in the same college/university.I work with the nominee at an extracurricular activity.I am a student of the nominee. Other

Explain your relationship to the nominee.

Please answer the following questions and upload your responses below.

1. How does the nominee exemplify excellence in civic education? Tell us about the courses they teach or the extracurricular activities they lead. (max. 400 words)

2. Describe one moment that demonstrates their commitment and passion for teaching students about America's founding principles and history. Consider how students respond to the nominee's teaching and leadership. Tell us about a particularly successful lesson, extracurricular activity, or testimonial from a student. (300 - 500 words)

Examples include:

an innovative classroom lessons or activities
extracurricular activities they planned or lead
student growth stories or other testimonials

3. Optional: If you have any materials that support your nomination, such as a syllabus, you can upload those materials below as well.

4. Optional: What should America be doing to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the declaration? How, if at all, do you plan to address this in your teaching?

Upload your responses to questions 1 & 2 here:

Upload any additional files to support your nomination here: