Mount Vernon Recognizes Excellence in History Teaching Fairfax County Teacher Honored

Mount Vernon, Virginia -- George Washington's Mount Vernon has awarded the 2021 History Teacher of the Year to Sean Miller, a history teacher from South County High School in Fairfax County, Virginia.

The Mount Vernon History Teacher of the Year award is presented annually to one teacher in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area who brings creativity and passion to their teaching, generates a love of learning, and deepens their students’ understanding and appreciation of history. The award winner receives a cash award of $5000 and a fully funded field trip to Mount Vernon for their students.

Mr. Miller is in his eighth year in the classroom teaching Social Studies at South County High School in Lorton, Virginia.

In addition to teaching, Miller serves as his school’s Department Chair and is a key member of division-level teams leading ambitious professional learning and curriculum development to support K-12 social studies teachers and administrators. Recent projects have included co-developing an African American History and Culture for Educators professional development course and deigning the district’s African American History elective.

A colleague wrote in a recommendation for the award, “Mr. Miller’s expertise as a culturally responsive social studies educator, scholar of history, and unwavering advocate for students’ needs has fostered important and overdue change in our system, within and well beyond his classroom.”

This year’s runner-up, Cassandra St. Vil, is Department Chair and Associate Professor of Social Sciences at Bard High School Early College in Washington, D.C. She will receive a cash award of $500 and distance learning programs for her students.

Mount Vernon President and CEO Doug Bradburn will present the award to Miller on September 22 during Mount Vernon's annual "Founding Debates" program, which will discuss Civic Education in America.

Allison Wickens, Mount Vernon's Vice President for Education, says, “Mount Vernon is indebted to great history teachers. It is our honor each year to champion leaders in this field. We are proud to showcase the importance of their work and the lasting impact of their daily efforts.”

The award review panel was made up of teachers from around the country who serve as Teacher Facilitators for George Washington Teacher Institute programming that supports Mount Vernon’s mission and vision in schools across the country make up the award review panel.

This year marks the 13th anniversary of the Mount Vernon History Teacher of the Year award provided through generous support from the Robertson Foundation.

The award presentation will be livestreamed at 7pm ET on September 22, during the Founding Debates: Civic Education in America: origins, Aspirations, Challenges.

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Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, is owned and maintained by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, the oldest national historic preservation organization in the United States.