DoDEA

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA — August 7, 2008 — Patricia Robblee, a U.S. History teacher at Lejeune High School, has been selected as the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and Preserve America.

Now in its fifth year, the award is designed to promote and celebrate the teaching of American history in classrooms across the United States. The "Preserve America History Teacher of the Year" program is a project of the Preserve America White House Initiative and is sponsored by The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. The goal of the program is to encourage Americans to appreciate and protect the United States' cultural and national heritage.

The award is presented to outstanding American history teachers from each of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Territories, and Department of Defense (DoD) schools. Winners at the state level become finalists for the National History Teacher of the Year award. State winners receive $1,000 in cash and have books and other educational resources donated to their school's library.

Robblee, a DoDEA high school teacher at Camp Lejeune, N.C., was chosen by a DoDEA selection committee as the winner for DoDEA schools. "I was deeply honored," Robblee said. "I have served on a DoDEA history scoring conference and the AP Task Force which has given me the opportunity to network with other DoDEA U.S. History teachers. I know that I am only one of the many U.S. History teachers deserving of such recognition."

"History is the story of a people, their trials, tribulations and triumphs. So American History is the story of the American people, a story that is unfinished," Robblee wrote in a narrative accompanying her nomination.

"The pages are not perfect and some are missing. Recent trends have historians working to recognize the lessons derived from the imperfections, to add the missing pages, while continuing to write new pages as history continues to unfold," she added. When students leave her classroom, Robblee hopes they will continue to study the pages of history.

"I want them to recognize that the lens through which we see the world is a product of the history we have lived, our parents have lived and past generations have lived and we need to learn from their/our past successes and failures," she said.

An alumni of the University of Wyoming, where she earned a B.A. in Political Science and Secondary Social Studies Education, as well as a Juris Doctorate in Law, Robblee has been a teacher for nine years and has taught at Lejuene for the last seven of those years.

"Robblee's dedication is obvious," said her Principal, Wyonia Chevis.

"Patricia utilizes her expertise in history by hosting WWII Veterans' Night; sponsoring and preparing her students in the annual "We the People" state level competition and local "Close Up" programs," Chevis said.

"She also invites active duty personnel from Camp Lejeune's Office of the Staff Judge Advocate to conduct moot court activities in her classroom and she has initiated a forensic science project in collaboration with our AP Chemistry teacher that serves as the final exam for the Chemistry and Street Law students," Chevis added. "In sum, Patricia constantly seeks to challenge her students by applying the lessons from her classes to the "real world" and her selection is well deserved."

DoDEA plans, directs, coordinates, and manages the education programs for Department of Defense (DoD) dependents who would otherwise not have access to a high-quality public education. DoDEA consists of the Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) located overseas, and the Department of Defense Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools (DDESS) located in the United States and its territories and possessions. DoDEA provides education to eligible DoD military and civilian dependents from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

For more information about Preserve America or The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History please contact:

Sarah Bowman
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Office: 646-366-9666 x38
Email: bowman@gilderlehrman.org
History Teacher of the Year/3-3-3

Gilder Lehrman and Preserve America
Website: www.gilderlehrman.org
Website: www.preserveamerica.gov

For interviews with DoDEA's selectee contact:

Patricia Robblee (through Principal Wyonia Chevis)
Office: (910) 451-2451
Email: wyonia.chevis@am.dodea.edu
Email: patricia.robblee@am.dodea.edu

For questions about DoDEA's participation in the selection process for the History Teacher of the Year award contact:

Rebecca Anderson
Instructional Systems Specialist (Social Studies)
Office: 703-588-3155
Email: rebecca.anderson@hq.dodea.edu