by Jen Myers

LOWELL – Lowell High School teacher Jessica Lander is the 2023 Massachusetts 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 and now celebrating its twentieth anniversary, 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.

“Knowledgeable and impassioned teachers bring our country’s history to life for students, allowing them to understand that engaging with history is about more than a series of facts,” said James G. Basker, president of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. “Teachers are the lifeblood of our students’ education, and these are the best of the best.”

In addition to a $1,000 honorarium, Lander receives a core archive of American history books and Gilder Lehrman educational materials, recognition at a local ceremony in her honor, and becomes one of 53 finalists for the 2023 National History Teacher of the Year Award, the winner of which will be announced in the fall.

Lander holds a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and African Studies from Princeton University and a master’s degree in Education Policy and Management from Harvard University. She has been a History and Civics teacher for immigrant and refugee students at Lowell High since 2015. Among other accomplishments during her time in Lowell, she co-founded the We Are America Project. Crafted to shape the national conversation about American identity, it is now being used by 40 teachers in 25 states across the nation. Each class publishes a book full of their students’ stories of what it means to them to be an American and the journey they took to get here. She also publishes a book annually with her students called “Tasting America,” showcasing immigrant students’ family recipes from around the globe.

In the fall of 2002, Lander’s book “Making Americans: Stories of the Historic Struggle, New Ideas, and Inspiration in Immigrant Education” was published.

“Jessica Lander is a dedicated teacher leader, who has been at the forefront of the Multilanguage learner educational landscape, both locally and nationally, advocating for all students to live up to their full potential, in particular, those students who have come to Lowell from other parts of the world,” said Lowell High School Head of School Mike Fiato. “Jessica ensures that all of her students are recognized and appreciated as individuals as they enhance and enrich our diverse school community with their culture, customs, language and traditions. We are extremely excited and proud, but not surprised, of Jessica’s accomplishments, and are fortunate to have amazing educators, like her, serving our students and families, at Lowell High School.”

Nominations for the 2024 History Teacher of the Year awards are now open. Students, parents, educators, and supervisors may nominate K–12 teachers by visiting gilderlehrman.org/nhtoy.