Vermont Humanities

Victor R. Swenson Humanities Educator Award

Teachers and students on mountain bikes at the top of a hill in Vermont

With this award, Vermont Humanities recognizes an educator in grades 6 through 12 who:

  • Inspires his or her students and encourages in them intellectual curiosity and a lifelong love of learning
  • Possesses extraordinary knowledge, ability, and accomplishment in the teaching of language, literature, history, social studies, or other humanities fields
  • Exhibits infectious enthusiasm for his/her subject and learning in general
  • Embodies a commitment to the highest standards of achievement, for him/herself and students

The award and $1,000 prize are presented in the fall. To learn more about the award, call Jonny Flood at (802) 579-5046 or email jflood@vermonthumanities.org.

Changes for 2022

This year, we’re asking nominators to tell us how teachers have excelled in working under the difficult circumstances presented by the twin pandemics of Covid-19 and structural racism. The deadline for nominations for this year’s award is August 1, 2022.

Susan Piccoli, a librarian at Woodstock High School and Middle School,  received the 2021 Victor R. Swenson Award. Piccoli has avidly participated in Vermont Humanities’ statewide one-book Vermont Reads program.

In October 2019, she partnered with the school’s history and English teachers to arrange a field trip for 120 students to see civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis and his March Trilogy co-author Andrew Aydin at a Vermont Reads event held at the Flynn Center in Burlington.

Read more about Susan Piccoli

Woodstock Union High School Library Specialist Susan Piccoli
Vermont Humanities*** December 4, 2014