Cynthia Allred, a teacher at Scott High School, has been named the 2012 West Virginia History Teacher of the Year. The award is co-sponsored by The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, HISTORY and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation on behalf of its Preserve America program.

Allred returned to college after working in the business world for fifteen years, she pursued a bachelor’s of Science degree in education with a concentration in English and Social Studies. She has been employed with Boone County Schools since 1996 and teaches Tenth Grade Social Studies, Advanced Placement U.S. History, Advanced Placement U.S. Government and Politics, and Yearbook.

Allred has attended numerous educational workshops and training, including participating in several Teaching American History Grants with RESA III and RESA V.

Her interest in history goes back to when she was a young child perusing the encyclopedias at home. As she moved through public school, she was honored to have outstanding history teachers, Russell Hansford at Marmet Junior High School and Roscoe Keeney at East Bank Senior High School.

She resides in Madison with her cats, Sebastian and Marie and dog, Luna. Allred has two children, Michael and Sarah, and three grandchildren, Wyatt, Fenway and Malcolm.

Allred, a Boone County resident, will receive a $1,000 honorarium and will be in the running to be named the 2012 National History Teacher of the Year this fall. Scott High School’s library will receive a core archive of history books and educational materials from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and HISTORY.

Allred will also be invited to a 2013 Gilder Lehrman Teacher Seminar and Scott High School will be named a Gilder Lehrman Affiliate School.

“This award gives us the chance to recognize great history teachers across the country,” said Lesley S. Herrmann, Executive Director of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. “It puts exceptional educators front and center.”

Inaugurated in 2004, the National History Teacher of the Year Award promotes and celebrates the teaching of American history in classrooms across the United States. The award honors one exceptional K-12 teacher of American history from each of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools and US Territories.

The 2012 award honors middle and high school teachers of seventh through twelfth grade. The selection of the state winner is based upon several criteria, including: at least three years of classroom experience in teaching American history; a demonstrated commitment to teaching American history (including state and local history); evidence of creativity and imagination in the classroom; effective use of documents, artifacts, historic sites, oral histories, and other primary resources to engage students with American history.

From the state winners, one is recognized as the National History Teacher of the Year and will be honored in a fall ceremony. The winner, together with the nominator and two of the winner’s students, will travel to the national recognition ceremony with expenses paid by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.