June 15, 2023, College Park, MD–On Thursday, June 15, National History Day® (NHD) awarded Mr. Terry Kaldhusdal at Kettle Moraine Middle School in Dousman, Wisconsin, the 2023 Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year for the Junior Division. Each of the 58 National History Day Affiliates may nominate one high school and one middle school teacher for this award.
This award comes with a $10,000 cash prize in addition to the prestige of winning an internationally competitive award that recognizes social studies educators who demonstrate creative teaching methods that engage students in history and help them make exciting discoveries about the past.
Selected by a committee of experienced teachers and historians, Mr. Kaldhusdal was recognized for his passion for the NHD program by the Wisconsin History Day Affiliate Coordinator Jessica Schmitz:
“Terry is the biggest champion for NHD, and he has such excitement for the process because he believes it challenges his students. His students are encouraged to explore the history they are interested in and understand that history is messy. He is incredibly proud of every victory his students have, whether they are finding a resource, completing their project, or winning an award, and he sees their true reward as the critical skills they learn for the future.”
“Mr. Kaldhusdal is a 30-year veteran teacher, author, and filmmaker. He shows his passion in the classroom and is a leader in the field,” shares NHD Executive Director Cathy Gorn. “I am very proud to award Terry Kaldhusdal the Patricia Behring Award this year.”
About National History Day® (NHD)
NHD is a non-profit organization based in College Park, Maryland, that seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. The National History Day Contest was established in 1974 and currently engages more than half a million students every year in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. Students present their research as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. Projects compete first at the local and affiliate levels, where the top entries are invited to the National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park. NHD is sponsored in part by HISTORY®, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Park Service, The Better Angels Society, and the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation. For more information, visit nhd.org.
About National History Day in New Wisconsin
History Day in Wisconsin is open to middle and high school students statewide. The program is organized by the Wisconsin Historical Society, with support from the Wisconsin Historical Foundation. NHDinWI offers program support for teachers and students as well as student events. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org/nhd.
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Media contact: programs@nhd.org
