A social studies teacher from Ballard Community High School has been named as Iowa’s History Teacher of the Year and is one of 10 finalists for the National History Teacher of the Year award.
The Iowa Department of Education selected Catherine Mein, a 27-year veteran educator, as the state History Teacher of the Year and submitted her for national consideration to the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, where she has been named as a finalist for the National History Teacher of the Year award and a $10,000 prize. As Iowa’s History Teacher of the Year, Mein received $1,000 and a collection of classroom resources for the school library, provided by Gilder Lehrman.
Each year, Gilder Lehrman honors outstanding K-12 history teachers from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools and U.S. territories. Since the program’s inception in 2004, over 1,000 educators have been recognized for their high achievements in history education.
“Congratulations to Catherine Mein for her selection as a finalist for the National History Teacher of the Year,” said Stefanie Rosenberg Wager, Department administrative consultant. “She is a wonderful representative of the outstanding instruction of history and social studies that is being provided to students in Iowa. We know that she would be an excellent National History Teacher of the Year.”
Mein is a National Board Certified teacher, and her work as a social studies educator has emphasized curriculum development, both in the classroom and for teacher professional development. She has published and produced lessons for the University of Colorado-Boulder, Harvard University and other notable programs. Mein also serves as the president for the Iowa Council for Social Studies and has served on its executive board for two decades.
The winner of the National History Teacher of the Year award will be announced later this year.
As the Iowa History Teacher of the Year, Mein will be honored at the 2025 Outstanding Iowa Teachers Recognition Luncheon.