Victor R. Swenson Humanities Educator Award

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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.