2025 Award Recipient

Sonya Shockey

The Lynn Rupp/Lynn Bennett Award for WV Social Studies Excellence will be awarded to a WVCSS member each year to recognize their outstanding service to WVCSS and to WV social studies education. The WVCSS Executive Board will choose the award recipient through an internal nomination process.

This award is named for the Lynns, Dr. Lynn Rupp, and Mrs. Lynn Bennett, West Virginia social studies educators who committed their lives to supporting social studies educators by teaching pre-service educators, supporting teachers in the classroom, and providing first-class professional development throughout the state. The Lynn Rupp/Lynn Bennett Award for WV Social Studies Excellence seeks to honor their legacy and to recognize those with the same hearts as Dr. Lynn Rupp and Mrs. Lynn Bennett for bettering social studies education here in West Virginia.

Dr. Lynn Rupp spent three decades teaching secondary social studies education at WV Wesleyan College, serving as the department chairman and Director of the master’s in education program. She was awarded the college’s exemplary teaching award in 2004. Mrs. Lynn Bennett worked as an educator and principal in Doddridge County, spending the last years of her teaching career as the program director of RESA VII. In retirement, Lynn created Bennett Educational Consulting so she could continue to provide high-quality professional development to WV educators. Both Lynns contributed greatly to the improvement of social studies education throughout the state of West Virginia. They were a dynamic duo, serving as program directors of three Teaching American History grants known as American HEART.

2025 Award Recipient

Caitlyn Heater

1. The Rising Star Educator Award is established to recognize and honor a social studies educator in West Virginia who is in the first five years of teaching in a K-12 social studies environment and has demonstrated outstanding achievement, innovation, and contribution to the field of social studies education.

1. Eligibility:
   The award is open to any social studies teacher in the state of West Virginia who has completed no more than seven years of teaching experience at the time of nomination. The nominee must be actively engaged in teaching and show exceptional promise as an educator.

1. Nomination Process:
   Nominations for the Rising Star Educator Award may be submitted by colleagues, administrators, or other individuals familiar with the nominee’s work. Nominations must be submitted using the official nomination form. The nominee will be asked to submit evidence of teaching excellence, innovation, impact on students, and contributions to the school or broader educational community.

1. Selection Process:
   A committee appointed by the Executive Board of the West Virginia Council for the Social Studies will review all nominations. The committee will select the award recipient based on the criteria outlined in the nomination form. The recipient will be formally recognized at the WVCSS Annual Conference.

1. Award Presentation:
   The Rising Star Educator Award will be presented annually at the WVCSS Annual Conference. The recipient will receive a plaque of recognition and reimbursement for a one-night hotel stay so the winner may attend the WVCSS Conference.  This may be changed at the discretion of the WVCSS Executive Board.

1. Amendments to the Award:
   The criteria, process, and presentation of the Rising Star Educator Award may be amended by a majority vote of the WVCSS Executive Board, with input from the Awards Committee as needed.

1. Additional awards may be established by the WVCSS Board. The criteria for each award shall be determined by the board.

2025 Distinguished Teacher of the Year

William Bell

To nominate a candidate for the WVCSS Distinguished Teacher of the Year please complete the required documentation located on the Nomination Form.

The WVCSS Distinguished Teacher of the Year will be opened for nominations from September 1 to December 15th of each year. Nominees will be contacted and encouraged to complete the WVCSS Distinguished Teacher of the Year application form. Nominees will not be considered without completing all sections of the application. The award winner will be chosen by the WVCSS Board.

1. One to three letters of support provided by colleagues, administrators, parents, and/or students/former student. The nominator is encouraged to write one of the letters of recommendation. However, it is not a requirement that the nominator write a letter.

2. Resume/CV written by the nominee

The resume should include the following information:

a. Name, home address, and home phone number

b. School, school address, school phone number, and e-mail address

c. Teaching assignments and grade level

d. List professional duties and accomplishments

e. Opportunities for Leadership

f. Professional Development in Social Studies

g. Published Lesson Plans and Presentations

h. Innovations in social studies curriculum

3. Professional Belief Statement will be written by the nominee (300 words or less) with your philosophy of teaching while explaining the importance of teaching social studies and its impact on students.

4. Award Criteria:

a. The teacher must be a full-time teacher teaching K-12 social studies.

b. The teacher must be recognized by colleagues as an excellent social studies teacher.

c. The teacher must utilize social studies strategies that foster inquiry and the development of social studies.

d. The teacher must have an ongoing interest in improving his/her knowledge and skills in social studies instruction

e. The teacher does not need to be a current WVCSS member to be nominated or to be an award recipient. Winners will receive a FREE WVCSS Conference (the organization will cover their conference costs and hotel room).

f. The recipient will be awarded a plaque during the conference.