Sioux Falls, SD (July 12, 2021): Tamra Huffman, a teacher at North Middle School in the Harrisburg School District, has been named the 2021 South Dakota History Teacher of the Year, an award presented annually by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to K-12 American history education.
In 2021, parents, students, teachers, and administrators nationwide nominated a record 8,510 teachers for the History Teacher of the Year Award. Amidst a very competitive field, Tamra Huffman rose to the top in South Dakota.
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 US Territories. In fall 2021, the National History Teacher of the Year will be selected from the pool of state winners.
Tamra Jo Huffman is a twenty-two year veteran American History teacher from the Harrisburg School District. She earned her Master of Arts in American History Curriculum and Instruction from Dakota Wesleyan University (2014) and undergraduate degrees from South Dakota State University (1995). In her career, she has taught both high school and middle school social studies. While in this position, she has been awarded several teaching fellowships, grants, and teaching honors which include the 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year from her district in addition to the national 2021 Gilder Lehrman South Dakota History Teacher of the Year award.
Ms. Huffman has served on various school improvement committees, as team leader, and as a cooperating teacher for future educators. She has spent every other summer taking students on history trips to the east coast. Many locations include Washington, DC, Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia. She is also an actress in her spare time and enjoys performing on local stages in her community and throughout the state of South Dakota. She lives in Sioux Falls with her daughter Isabelle.
In addition to a $1,000 honorarium, Tamra Huffman’s school will receive a core archive of American history books and Gilder Lehrman educational materials and recognition at a ceremony in South Dakota.
The 10 finalists for the National History Teacher of the Year Award will be announced on Thursday, September 9, with the national winner announced later that month. An in-person ceremony for the winner will be held in late fall 2021, health and safety protocols permitting. Support for the National History Teacher of the Year Award ceremony is provided by HISTORY®
About the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History was founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, visionaries and lifelong supporters of American history education. The Institute is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to K–12 history education while also serving the general public. Its mission is to promote the knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources.
At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. Drawing on the 70,000 documents in the Gilder Lehrman Collection and an extensive network of eminent historians, the Institute provides teachers, students, and the general public with direct access to unique primary source materials.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is supported through the generosity of individuals, corporations, and foundations. The Institute’s programs have been recognized by awards from the White House, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Organization of American Historians, and the Council of Independent Colleges.