FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  June 18, 2004

CONTACT:  Jeff Mammenga, (605) 773-6000

Arlington teacher named state History Teacher of the Year

PIERRE, S.D. – Vikki Hasche (HASH-ee) of Arlington Elementary School in Arlington has been named South Dakota’s winner in the new Preserve America History Teacher of the Year Award competition.

Hasche will receive a $1,000 honorarium, a certificate of recognition, and a core archive of history books and materials donated in her honor to her school’s library.

Hasche was nominated for the award by Arlington Principal Rhonda Gross.

“Vikki daily demonstrates what it takes to effectively teach students history,” Gross said. “She has developed a curriculum that is both challenging and rewarding for her students. She works hard to ensure that all of her students develop a sense of pride and ownership of the American way.”

Particularly noteworthy is Hasche’s annual “Wax Museum” project. Her students pick a famous South Dakotan, either from the past or present. The students then research the person, dress up like them and do a living-history presentation for the public.

“I believe I have an obligation to the students in my classroom to help them to achieve growth both personally and scholastically,” Hasche said. “I try to make my classroom a community to which my students will feel they belong.”

The Preserve America History Teacher of the Year Award will annually honor one outstanding K-12 teacher of American history from each state and U.S. territory. The South Dakota competition was coordinated by the South Dakota State Historical Society, headquartered at the Cultural Heritage Center.

This summer, a national Preserve America History Teacher of the Year will be selected from among Hasche and the other state honorees. The national winner and his or her nominating supervisor will be flown to a recognition ceremony in Washington or New York in early fall to mark the start of the 2004-2005 school year. In addition, plans are underway to bring the national History Teacher of the Year honoree on a multi-city tour to promote history teaching as a national priority.

This prestigious new honor, a national competition inaugurated earlier this year by First Lady Laura Bush, is co-sponsored by Preserve America and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History in New York City. Preserve America is a White House initiative that encourages greater shared knowledge about the nation’s past and increased local participation in preserving the country’s cultural and natural heritage assets. Gilder Lehrman promotes the study and love of American history throughout the country.

Mrs. Bush formally announced the new Preserve America History Teacher of the Year Award at a White House ceremony in January. The Teacher of the Year Award is designed to promote, celebrate, encourage and honor the teaching of history in America’s classrooms.  Fifty-four state and territory coordinators elicited teacher nominations from school officials.

In speaking about Preserve America, Laura Bush stressed the importance of American history by saying: “An understanding and appreciation of history makes every American a more engaged citizen.”

Commented Richard Gilder and Lewis Lehrman, co-founders of Gilder Lehrman: “The Gilder Lehrman Institute is honored to participate in this ongoing national effort to identify and pay tribute to these hard-working, imaginative and inspiring teachers, whose work is so crucial to our understanding of our common heritage.”

The South Dakota State Historical Society is an office of the Department of Tourism and State Development.

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