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2026 Outstanding Teaching Award Application

Congratulations on your nomination for a 2026 Humanities Texas Outstanding Teaching Award!

2026 Outstanding Teaching Awards

In 2026, Humanities Texas will present a total of fifteen Outstanding Teaching Awards to exceptional Texas teachers.

  • Twelve teachers across the state will be selected to receive the Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award. The top candidate will receive the James F. Veninga Outstanding Teaching of Humanities Award, established to honor James F. Veninga, Humanities Texas Executive Director Emeritus, for his twenty-three years of extraordinary contributions to the public humanities in Texas and the U.S.
  • One Texas history teacher will be selected to receive the Linden Heck Howell Outstanding Teaching of Texas History Award, an award established in memory of Linden Heck Howell, former chair of the Humanities Texas Board of Directors, as a lasting tribute to her service to the organization and her commitment to the study of Texas history.
  • Two teachers will receive the Award for Outstanding Early-Career Teaching. This award recognizes exemplary contributions of early-career humanities teachers in Texas elementary, middle, and high schools who have completed three or fewer years of teaching.
  • The Julius Glickman Educational Leadership Award recognizes a winner who demonstrates exceptional leadership in the educational field. The award honors former Humanities Texas board member Julius Glickman for his extraordinary leadership of our organization and many others.
  • The Jay Taylor Moore Outstanding Teaching of U.S. History Award recognizes a winner who has shown outstanding achievement in the teaching of U.S. history and civic literacy. The award is named for Jay Moore, former Humanities Texas board member and winner of the 2013 Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award.

Winners in all award categories will receive $5,000, with an additional $1,000 for their schools to purchase humanities-based instructional materials.

Eligibility

  • Applicants must be full-time teachers in Texas public or private schools.
  • Teachers of English and language arts, foreign languages, history, and social studies are eligible for the Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Awards. Teachers of art, drama, and music are also eligible if they emphasize the history, criticism, and theory of the arts.
  • Only teachers of Texas history courses are eligible for the Linden Heck Howell Outstanding Teaching of Texas History Award.
  • Applicants for the Award for Outstanding Early-Career Teaching must be full-time humanities teachers in Texas public or private schools who have three or fewer years of classroom experience. Teachers of English and language arts, foreign languages, history, and social studies are eligible for this award, as are teachers of art, drama, and music if they emphasize the history, criticism, and theory of the arts.
  • Applicants should be skillful and dedicated teachers who possess an expansive and profound knowledge of the humanities subject(s) they teach. Applicants should also have a record of active involvement in community activities and professional organizations, particularly those that promote the humanities.
  • Previous Humanities Texas award winners are ineligible to apply.

Criteria

In evaluating your application, special consideration will be given to:

  • Innovation and creativity in teaching methods and classroom activities
  • Proven success in engaging students in the humanities
  • Involvement in professional and community activities
  • Dedication and commitment to the education profession
  • Demonstrated influence on other teachers
  • Leadership on campus, in district, or within the broader educational community
  • Continued education or professional development in the humanities

Letters of Recommendation

The application requires at least one and no more than three letters of recommendation. Your nominator is eligible to write a letter. Advise each recommender that their letter will form a crucial component of your award application. We encourage you to select recommenders who will write an authentic, original letter specific to this award. Effective letters provide specific details regarding your methods and accomplishments as a teacher of the humanities. Please specify the following format when requesting a letter: 12-point font, double-spaced, and PDF format (preferred). Letters may not exceed two pages.

Deadline

To be considered for an award, please complete all sections of the online application by Monday, February 2, 2026.

Questions

Call 512.440.1991 (press 2) or email ota@humanitiestexas.org with any questions about the Outstanding Teaching Awards.

Additional Information

Humanities Texas sponsors the Outstanding Teaching Awards program with continuing financial support provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional support for the Linden Heck Howell Outstanding Teaching of Texas History Award program comes from contributions to the Linden Heck Howell Memorial Fund.

Registration

Indicate the award for which you are applying:
Note: You are only eligible to apply for one award category.
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Please provide your phone number without any accompanying symbols (e.g., 5124401991).
This will not affect your subscription if you are already subscribed.
Have you participated in a previous Humanities Texas or National Endowment for the Humanities teacher program? If so, please list the program and year attended.
Please register to continue filling out the application.

Contact Information

School Information

Education History

Please list all degrees earned, starting with the most recent.

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Current Employment

Please fill out the following information related to your current teaching position.

Total Years Teaching, including this year. E.g., if this year is your fifth year of teaching, enter the number 5. Round to the nearest whole year (e.g., 7 not 6.5).
Applicants must plan to teach full-time during the 2026–2027 school year. Are you confirmed or do you expect to teach during the 2026–2027 school year?

Teaching History

Please list up to three previous teaching positions.

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Professional and Community Activities

Please list up to four activities most significant for this award application. Please list most recent activities first. Be sure to indicate any relevant leadership positions that you hold or have held.

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Honors and Awards

Please list up to four honors or awards most significant for this award application. Please list most recent awards first.

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Essays

Please answer the following questions in the space provided.

[Select an Award Category to see this essay prompt]
[Select an Award Category to see this essay prompt]

Letters of Recommendation

Please attach at least one and no more than three letters of recommendation. Your nominator is eligible to write a letter. Advise each recommender that their letter will form a crucial component of your award application. We encourage you to select recommenders who will write an authentic, original letter specific to this award. Effective letters provide specific details regarding your methods and accomplishments as a teacher of the humanities. Please specify the following format when requesting a letter: 12-point font, double-spaced, and PDF format (preferred). Letters may not exceed two pages.

Files must be less than 10.00 MB

Please name your file in the following format: Applicant Last Name_Applicant First Name_Letter(1-3)
For example: James_Liz_Letter1, James_Liz_Letter2, James_Liz_Letter3
Preferred file type: PDF

Allowed file types: pdf, doc, docx, jpg, jpeg.

Questions about Teaching Awards

Call 512.440.1991 or email ota@humanitiestexas.org