North Hills Educator Named Pennsylvania
History Teacher of the Year
N
orth Hills Middle School
educator Joe Welch
has been selected as
the 2018 Pennsylvania
History Teacher of the Year by
the Gilder Lehrman Institute of
American History. He is now one
of 53 finalists for the organization’s
National History Teacher of the Year
Award that will be announced in
October.
Welch, a Grade 8 social studies
teacher, was chosen by a panel of teachers, administrators
and scholars from throughout the state for the honor for his
achievements in American history education. The award is
present annually by the institute, which is the nation’s leading
organization dedicated to K-12 American history education.
With his state-level award, he will receive a $1,000 cash award,
an archive of books and historical resources for the North Hills
Middle School library, attendance at a 2019 Gilder Lehrman
teacher seminar and recognition at a state ceremony.
Inaugurated in 2004, the History Teacher of the Year
Award highlights the crucial importance of history education
by honoring exceptional American history teachers from
elementary school through high school. The award honors
one K-12 teacher from each state, the District of Columbia,
Department of Defense schools and U.S. Territories.
In his classroom, Welch is known for creative and innovative
projects that bring American history alive for his students. His
philosophy for teaching history, which was included in the
application process, is based on students creating stories and
publishing content. His students have the opportunity to create
animated videos, remix songs to analyze an era of American
history, create illustrated children’s books to explain primary
sources, intertwine augmented reality to create