Teacher of the Year
Each year, the World Affairs Council of Washington, DC selects as its Teacher of the Year a DC area educator who has demonstrated outstanding dedication to teaching with a global perspective. The Teacher of the Year receives the Leonard H. Marks Award for Excellence in International Education – a $1000 grant designed to advance the study of international affairs in local schools.
The Council is now accepting nominations for the 2008 Teacher of the Year Award. Colleagues, students, parents and other community members can recommend a teacher for this award. To nominate a teacher, please send a letter detailing why he/she is a deserving candidate. The ideal candidate will be a teacher who uses school and community resources to present international topics in a unique and creative manner, and encourages his/her students to be active global citizens. Nominations must be submitted to the Council by December 31, 2007.
The Teacher of the Year award is presented at the Council’s Annual Dinner, which will be held in early Spring 2008. The Council’s Annual Dinner serves as a forum to honor the work of teachers, members of our government, the diplomatic corps, business leaders and others for their commitment to educating and engaging citizens in international affairs. For information on how to nominate a teacher, please contact Amanda Stamp at astamp@worldaffairsdc.org.
2007 TEACHER OF THE YEAR: Julie Caccamise
Each year the World Affairs Council of Washington, DC honors a deserving teacher who has made a unique contribution to efforts expanding international learning opportunities for their students. This year we honor Ms. Julie Caccamise, a teacher at Woodrow Wilson Senior High School in Washington, DC.
Ms. Caccamise is a committed educator who has taught students in a variety of settings, in parochial, charter, and public schools. Through her work, Ms. Caccamise has instilled in her students a love for learning and an awareness of their roles and responsibilities as global citizens. Her passion for international understanding is evident in the stimulating and engaging environment she has created for her students, who will often stay after class to continue lively discussions of current events.
In her current position at Woodrow Wilson Senior High School, where she has taught since 2005, Ms. Caccamise has brought new energy to the Wilson International Studies Program (WISP). She has worked to integrate the WISP program with the activities of the United Nations Association’s Global Classrooms DC, and uses her position as lead teacher for Global Classrooms to share her experience and expertise with other area teachers. Global Classrooms DC also oversees the Model UN program in the Washington, DC area. As the sponsor for her school’s Model UN Club, Ms. Caccamise hosted a digital videoconference between her students and a school in Baku, Azerbaijan to discuss the AIDS epidemic in Botswana. The club is currently working to develop a project to exchange community service opportunities on a global level.
BBC Radio has visited Ms. Caccamise’s classroom on three occasions for the “World Have Your Say” radio program, transforming it into a broadcasting center where her students are connected with their peers around the world to discuss global issues and learn from each other’s experiences. Ever the advocate for global and cross-cultural understanding, Ms. Caccamise regularly takes part in the Embassy for a Day Program for elementary and middle school students, and hosts ambassadors and international business leaders to give her students a first-hand understanding of life in other parts of the world.
Ms. Caccamise’s commitment to meaningful global understanding does not end in her classroom. This summer she will take part in a Learn Serve project trip to Zambia, where she will work on a water system project and on a library project for street children. She hopes to share her experiences with her students when she returns, enriching her school community with a more polished and extensive international perspective, and by example encouraging active involvement with international affairs.
