One of our favorite panels at NCSS 2025 was put on by our partner, the Center for Civic Education. “‘I love that idea!’ Conversations with American Civic Education Teacher Award Winners” featured three expert civic teachers who received the American Civic Education Teacher Award in 2025.
The awards are given to teachers of civics, government, and related subjects who have demonstrated exceptional expertise, dynamism, and creativity in motivating students to learn about the Constitution, public policy, and the US government at the federal, state, and local levels; and public policy.
The 2025 ACETA Winners are Shae Parks (Delaware), Phillip Wrigley (Kansas), and Rob Schulte (New Jersey). The three awardees share a passion for explaining democracy and citizenship in an engaging way and helping young people see that local, state, and federal government is relevant to their lives.
Through dialogue, real-world examples, and Q&A, the expert civics teachers inspired educators to fortify their own journeys of transformation and innovation.
Phillip Wrigley spoke about piquing the curiosity of students and getting them engaged and exploring.
“‘Mr. Wrigley, you really are excited about this.’ If I can be at a 10, it can bring them up to a 6 or 7.”
Shae Parks spoke about building a setting where students feel comfortable and feel okay to take risks.
“Their fear of failure is ten times more amplified than I could ever have imagined when I was that age. … We can't just teach the content and skills and expect them to go out and do these things in situations they've never even imagined before. We need to give them a safe space.”
Robert Schulte spoke about teaching civics in our current environment.
“You are officially navigating landmines. Teaching history is an opportunity to lower the stakes of those landmines. Early on in my course I used the phrase, ‘I'm going to show you the receipts.’ Day one is a quiz of what they think they know in history. Students often ask, ‘How do you know that?’ I show them the primary source. I grade on facts, not on vibes.”
To learn more about the ACETA awards and the Center for Civic Education, visit their website.