Alabama Social Studies Teacher Recognized as 2007 Outstanding History Educator

Alabama Social Studies Teacher Recognized as 2007 Outstanding History Educator

The History Channel(R) and National History Day Honor Barbara Romey, "one of those rare teachers who comes along once in a lifetime and makes you give thanks for having a profound impact on students."

WASHINGTON, June 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The History Channel(R) and National History Day are proud to announce that The History Channel Outstanding History Educator Award for 2007 is presented to Barbara Romey, a Social Studies teacher at Central High School in Phenix City, Alabama. Romey challenges her students to go beyond the classroom and to use their knowledge of history to address current issues and resolve problems in their community.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051031/HISTORYLOGO )

The History Channel presents the award annually to an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to history education through the National History Day program. For more than 15 years, Romey's students have prepared award-winning projects, recognized by both Alabama History Day and National History Day. She is a tireless advocate for both the state and national programs, mentoring other teachers and recruiting new schools into the program every year. Romey is also active in the Alabama Association of Historians-an organization of K-12 teachers, college professors, historians, and archivists- committed to outreach and support of history teachers, through teaching, research and service.

The History Channel will award Romey a $5,000 prize and a special plaque to be presented at The National History Day Awards Ceremony on Thursday, June 14, in Cole Field House on the University of Maryland campus. The ceremony is the culminating event of a week of activities in which more than 2,000 student scholars, narrowed from a field of over half a million, present history projects to national judges for top honors. The Awards Ceremony presentation is available via a live Webcast at The History Channel's website: www.History.com/classroom.

"Barbara Romey has been praised by her superintendent, her colleagues and most importantly, by her students and their parents. She connects lessons from history and makes them relevant to her students in exciting and practical ways," said Dr. Libby O'Connell, Chief Historian, The History Channel. "Her enthusiasm for history is infectious to other teachers and her students. The History Channel is delighted to join National History Day in recognizing her outstanding work."

Central High School is the only high school in the Phenix City school system. More than 60% of high school seniors represent minority populations, and 50% of high school seniors live at or below the poverty level. During the 2005-2006 school year, nearly 98% of high school seniors passed the social studies portion of the Alabama High School Graduation Exam. Romey credits National History Day with helping to improve the school's performance on the state's social studies exam.

"I believe that National History Day is the best program for training potential historians and for generating excitement and interest in history for those who are not initially interested in the subject," observed Romey.

The History Channel Web site will showcase the National History Day Awards Ceremony during a LIVE Webcast at http://www.history.com/classroom on Thursday, June 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Satellite Feed Opportunity: June 14, 2007, 19:00-19:30 ET. Transponder: IA6C 15 (TELSTAR 6C/15) analog (analog C band), 97 degrees West Longitude, Uplink: 6225 - Horizontal Up, Downlink: 4000 Vertical Down.

Transmissions Trouble: 202-408-3424

"Barbara Romey is a wonderful representative of all the teachers who participate in National History Day; committed, passionate, and resourceful," remarked Cathy Gorn, Executive Director of National History Day. "We are thrilled to honor Barbara this year for the contributions she has made to history education in the state of Alabama, and more importantly for the meaningful impact she has had on her students."

Romey's students are involved in the local community both as historians and activists. As historians, they created a walking tour of the community, a tile mural of the tour which was installed in the entrance of the junior high school and a quilt depicting local history of the county which is on display at Central High. Romey also sponsors a group called Community Problem Solvers which last year rallied community support to build a handicapped-accessible playground.

Romey, a national board certified teacher, also serves as the district's Gifted and Talented Coordinator. She has published numerous articles on a variety of educational topics as well as articles and lesson plans focused on history. She has also presented topics on education and history at conferences on the state and national level. Romey has been recognized with several awards for distinguished teaching.

National History Day, Inc. is not just one day, but a yearlong education organization that makes history come alive through educator professional development and active student learning. Through publications and education programs, National History Day trains teachers to move students beyond textbooks and expand their classrooms to include libraries, museums and archives. Nationwide 40,000 teachers currently use National History Day curriculum materials. The program is having a profound impact on education and received the Charles Frankel Prize for Public Programming from the National Endowment for the Humanities. For additional information on NHD visit www.nhd.org.

The History Channel(R) is a leading cable television network featuring compelling original, non-fiction specials and series that bring history to life in a powerful and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. The network provides an inviting place where people experience history in new and exciting ways enabling them to connect their lives today to the great lives and events of the past that provide a blueprint for the future. The History Channel has earned four Peabody Awards, three Primetime Emmy(R) Awards, 10 News & Documentary Emmy(R) Awards and received the prestigious Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network's Save Our History(R) campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. The History Channel reaches more than 93 million Nielsen subscribers. The website is located at www.History.com.

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Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051031/HISTORYLOGO
AP Archive:

http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: The History Channel

CONTACT: Chuck Wentzel for The History Channel, +1-201-362-6183, or
Chuckw07030@aol.com; or Mark Robinson for National History Day,
+1-301-314-9542, or mark@nhd.org

Web site:

http://www.history.com/
http://www.history.com/classroom
http://www.nhd.org/

NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information and photography please visit us on the web at www.historychannelpress.com.

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