Kristy Brasfield, a teacher at Blytheville High School, has been named the 2021 Arkansas 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, Kristy Brasfield rose to the top in Arkansas.
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.
Kristy Brasfield has been teaching AP and PreAP History in the Blytheville School District for 8 years. She currently serves on the Arkansas Council for the Social Studies Board and Rho Kappa Advisory Council, and on the National Constitution Center Teacher Advisory Council. Her love of teaching history has previously awarded her the 2019 Arkansas Council for the Social Studies 9-12 Teacher of the Year and the 2016 Rotary Educator of the Year. She holds a B.S.E. in Social Science, a M.S.E. in Education Theory and Practice, an Ed.S. In Education Leadership: Curriculum Director, all from Arkansas State University. She is currently in the dissertation writing phase of her Doctorate in Education, also from Arkansas State University. She currently resides in Gosnell, Arkansas with her husband and five children.
In addition to a $1,000 honorarium, Kristy Brasfield's school will receive a core archive of American history books and Gilder Lehrman educational materials and recognition at a ceremony in Arkansas.
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®
Nominations for the 2022 History Teacher of the Year awards are now open. Students, parents, colleagues, and supervisors may nominate K-12 teachers for the award by visiting gilderlehrman.org/nhtoy. The deadline for 2022 nominations is March 31, 2022.
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.