First Lady Laura Bush and
Gilder Lehrman Institute President James Basker
present certificate to History Teacher of the
Year Gerry Kohler |
NEW YORK, NY (OCTOBER 5, 2006) –
Mrs. Laura Bush, First Lady of the United States and
Honorary Chair of the Preserve America initiative, today
presented Gerry R. Kohler of Parkersburg, West Virginia,
the 2006 “Preserve America History Teacher of
the Year” Award during a ceremony held at Lincoln
Hall in The Union League Club.
"Great history teachers take required coursework
and turn it into a thrilling personal experience,"
said Mrs. Bush. "They don’t just tell the
story of America’s past through lectures and textbooks:
They encourage students to discover our country’s
heritage themselves, through artifacts and primary sources."
The “Preserve America History Teacher of the
Year” Award, a project of the Preserve America
White House initiative, is administered and funded by
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Earlier
this year, finalists were selected from each state,
Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands,
and U.S. Territories in the Pacific. The national “Preserve
America History Teacher of the Year” was selected
from the state finalists.
During her 27-year career in education Mrs. Kohler
has taught at both the elementary and secondary level.
Currently she teaches the 9th grade United States History
to 1900 at VanDevender Junior High School in Parkersburg,
West Virginia. Among many other efforts, she also is
the Vice President of the Wood County Historical Preservation
Society. With her students, she organized a Junior Historical
Society which encourages students with an enthusiasm
for history to help clean up and maintain two historic
cemeteries in their community and future projects include
a Civil War campsite this spring.
The goals of the Preserve America initiative include:
a greater shared knowledge about the nation's past;
strengthened regional identities and local pride; increased
local participation in preserving the country's cultural
and natural heritage assets; and support for the economic
vitality of communities.
Preserve America is a White House initiative created
for the purpose of encouraging and supporting community
efforts to preserve and enjoy the Nation’s cultural
and national heritage. The Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation and other Federal agencies partner to administer
the various components of Preserve America. For more
information, please visit www.PreserveAmerica.gov.
# # #
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
19 West 44th Street, Suite 500
New York, NY 10036
www.gilderlehrman.org
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