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Dan Hoppe Named 2019 Wisconsin History Teacher of the Year

Stevens Point, WI (June 21, 2019): Dan Hoppe, a teacher at Stevens Point Area Senior High (SPASH), has been named the 2019 Wisconsin 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.

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 2019, the National History Teacher of the Year will be selected from the pool of state winners.

In 1999, Dan Hoppe received his bachelor’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and in 2010 completed a master’s degree in education from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He has been teaching in the Stevens Point school district since 2002. He currently teaches AP U.S. History, AP U.S. Government and Politics, and AP Comparative Government at Stevens Point Area Senior High (SPASH). Dan has a passion for bringing history alive in his classroom and infuses his lessons with local stories, influential people, and events to help students make stronger historical connections to the area where they live. He is an advocate for the social studies as a board member for the Wisconsin Council for the Social Studies and the Portage County Historical Society. Dan is also an active leader within his school and community, serving as the advisor for SPASH’s student senate, and as a coach for basketball and track; he enjoys being involved with his community by serving on the City of Stevens Point Plan Commission.

In addition to a $1,000 honorarium, Dan Hoppe’s school will receive a core archive of American history books and Gilder Lehrman educational materials and recognition at a ceremony in Wisconsin.

The National History Teacher of the Year Award will be presented by John Avlon, Senior Political Analyst and anchor at CNN, at a ceremony in New York City on October 2, 2019. Past presenters at the ceremony include the Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor, Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts, First Lady Laura Bush, former US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg

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