Teaching Award
The New Jersey Studies Academic Alliance was founded to encourage the teaching of New Jersey studies and to help teachers to more efficiently and thoroughly present the study of the state to their students. In the spring of 1999 the Alliance initiated awards to recognize innovation and creativity in teaching New Jersey studies on the elementary, middle, secondary, and college level. The Teaching Award Committee members are Andy Urban, Joan Ruddiman, Robert Schulte, and Julia Telonidis (Chair).
Criteria for the Teaching Award are outlined here. The deadline for applications is April 1.
To see resources related to our award winners, please check out the Teaching Award Winners Resources under the Resources tab.
Past winners of the NJSAA Teaching Awards are:
2024
College - Dr. Kristin O’Brassill-Kulfan, Rutgers University (Department of History and Coordinator of Public History)
Dr. Kristin O’Brassill-Kulfan is dedicated to incorporating local collaboration, community-based projects, and the work of New Jersey scholars into her curriculum. By doing so, she enables her students to understand the context of the communities in which they live. Her work as the Coordinator of Public History is particularly noteworthy, as she has placed over 250 students into internships.
2023
High School - Jazmin Puicon, Bard HS Early College - Newark, Innovative Newark
Innovative Newark, examines African American history in the city of Newark through a lens of power and social change. Students utilize digital archives to tell the story of the black experience in Newark. The final project requires students to utilize historical analysis and original research as a means to engage with current social issues in the city.
New Jersey, a diverse and densely populous state, serves as a microcosm for learning about Catholicism in the New Jersey Catholic Experience (From Settlement to Springsteen). This course reviews many dimensions of this experience including socio-religious perspectives, parish life, and New Jersey-centered Catholic traditions. Students are encouraged to discuss their own personal experiences and family traditions to encourage the sharing of knowledge.
2022
High School – Robert M. Fenster, Hillsborough High School
Mr. Fenster has created a pair of lessons focused on the lives of Black Americans in New Jersey. Through an examination of primary documents, conversations around agency, and student-centered activities. His lesson plans highlight the roles of Black Americans in the American Revolution and the significance of gradual emancipation in New Jersey.
College – Anita Bakshi, Rutgers University (Department of Landscape Architecture)
Dr. Bakshi’s Our Land, Our Stories is a collaborative multimedia project between the Department of Landscape Architecture and the Ramapough Lunaape Nation focused on environmental justice advocacy and curriculum development for Native American history and contemporary indigenous land relations.
2021
Elementary – Michael Ryan, Cliffside Park School #3 & #4
Mr. Ryan’s “Celebrating New Jersey” project requires students to use their technological skills to create and edit video commercials of historical New Jersey landmarks to raise awareness and pride in New Jersey’s history and the impact New jersey has had on the birth and progress of the United States.
College - Jimmy Sweet/Rutgers University (American Studies)
Professor Sweet’s course on Native American New Jersey examines the long Native American history of the region, including the diaspora communities from New Jersey. Through an examination of their cultures, oral histories, literature, and languages, students analyze the experiences of Native Americans in New Jersey. Students also study the present conditions of Indigenous people in New Jersey, including their fight for environmental justice, federal recognition, the revitalization of their languages, and other political activism.
Archives - Christie Lutz and Caryn Radick/ Rutgers University Libraries Special Collections and University Archives
In Professor Lutz’s course, “Examining Archives Through the Lens of Popular Culture” students utilize the archives and special collections to explore a wide range of topics such as the New Brunswick music scene, cookbooks from around the Garden State, magazines, protest movement posters, and Jersey Shore memorabilia.
Professor Radick’s course “Only in New Jersey! New Jersey’s History in Newspapers,” looks at the history of New Jersey newspapers and the work of the New Jersey Digital Newspaper Project to learn how life in New Jersey unfolded in its newspapers. Students create “topic guides” modeled on those found in the Library of Congress.
2018
High School - Robert Schulte, Neptune High School
His classes focus on real life applications, civic involvement, primary sources, and incorporating technology such as virtual reality and 1:1 computing. Mr. Schulte’s award recognizes the innovative nature of his teaching unit about federalism and the government response to the disaster of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The lesson is intended for students at the high school level, but can easily be modified for the middle school as well. Also, teachers can substitute any natural disaster that might face New Jersey to replace the zombie scenario if they are so inclined.
2016
College -Dr. Andrew Urban, Assistant Professor of American Studies, Rutgers University
Professor Urban has produced an outstanding work of digital history entitled "Invisible Restraints: Life and Labor at Seabrook Farms." This online exhibition explores Seabrook Farms' history, utilizing over 90 original documents, images, and videos, an interactive digital timeline, individual essays by students, and a bibliography of archival records relating to the site. The digital platform is available to all K-16 students and the New Jersey community at large. The story of Seabrook Farms is an important part of New Jersey's history. Dr. Urban's digital site is an excellent example of the power and potential of digital history as a teaching tool.
2014
High School: Mary Ellen Fitzhenry, Bayonne High School, in recognition of her professionalism, dedication to her students and craft, and for instilling in her students academic skills far beyond their years and helping them to delve deeply into the history of New Jersey.
College: Michele Rotunda, Union County College, in recognition of her general excellence as a teacher and in particular for her innovative online New Jersey history class.
2013
High School: Joan Ruddiman, West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District, for her innovative lesson plan, "Witches in Mount Holly," which uses primary and secondary sources to teach middle to high school students historical investigation and critical thinking. A copy of the lesson plan is available as an attachment at the bottom of this page.
2012
College: Don Wefing, Seton Hall Law School
High School: Roseanne Lichatin, West Morris Regional High School
2011
College: Professor Robert McGreevey, Department of History, The College of New Jersey, for his work teaching an undergraduate research seminar on the History of Trenton, in which he taught historical research methods by encouraging his students to become deeply engaged in primary source materials at the New Jersey State Archives and the Trenton Free Public Library. This award honors his commitment to local history learned in the context of state and national history.
2010
High School: Kathleen Renegar of JFK High School in Paterson, for her work encouraging students to create History Day projects on New Jersey history topics.
2009
High School: Keeley Legour, Social Studies teacher at Indian Hills High School. Ms. Legour was nominated by her supervisor, Hank Bitten, for her creative work in having students develop documentaries about their home towns of Oakland, Franklin Lakes, and Wyckoff. The students divided into teams, conducted oral interviews, took photographs, and used other primary sources to create a “virtual” or electronic museum. In the process Ms. Legour has increased their interest in history and appreciation of their own communities.
2007
College: Dr. Raymond Frey, Centenary College
2006
College: Dr. Charles Stansfield, Rowan University
2005
Elementary school: Cortney Stevenson, Montville School District
2004
Elementary school: Sharon Carroll, Lavallette Elementary School
Middle school: Warren C. Martin, Jr.
High school: Jay Gavitt, South Orange-Maplewood School District
2003
Elementary school: Nicolle Marrazzo, Birches Elementary School, Turnersville
2002
Elementary school: Diane Lewis
Middle school: Dorothy Kohrherr, South Brunswick Township
High school: Edward Engelbart
College: Dr. Claribel Young, Georgian Court College
2001
Dr. Richard P. McCormick, Rutgers University
2000
Elementary school: Charles Giachetti
College: Dr. Peter O. Wacker, Rutgers University
1999
Elementary school: Dawn Levin
High school: Dr. William Fernekes, Hunterdon Central Regional High School
College: Dr. Carmela Ascolese Karnoutsos, New Jersey City University