September 16, 2009 - Sally Hunter, a fourth grade teacher at Austin’s Highland Park Elementary School, has been selected as the 2009 Gilder Lehrman Institue Preserve America History Teacher of the Year Award winner for the state of Texas.

Ms. Hunter was recognized for her work on the curriculum This House is Your House, which relates to the Texas Governor’s Mansion. Much of the curriculum content is from her own family archives. Her ancestors lived next door to the Governor’s Mansion in the middle 1800s, and kept letters and other primary sources associated with their encounters with Sam Houston and other officials from Texas’ early days. Ms. Hunter used these letters and census records to create lessons that bring to life the experiences of the Walton family with these dignitaries from Texas history.  
 
Ms. Hunter has also traveled throughout the state with First Lady Anita Perry to promote the This House is Your HouseM curriculum, as part of the restoration project of the Governor’s Mansion following the fire in 2008. She is also the current secretary of the Capital Area Council for Social Studies, and has been a presenter on topics related to local history at several state conferences.  
 
She received an award of $1,000 from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of Amerian History. Additionally, an archive of history-related books, technology pieces, and historical documents will be donated to the Highland Park Elementary School library in Ms. Hunter’s name.  
 
The award was presented on September 15, along with commendations and congratulations from U.S. Senator John Cornyn, U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul, Texas State Senator Kirk Watson, and Texas State Representative Donna Howard. John Nau, National Chairman of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, was present at Highland Park for the award presentation.  
 
Judy Brodigan, Texas Coordinator for the Preserve America History Teacher of the Year Award, said, “Sally’s deep commitment to teaching history, the level of inspiration that she provides for her students, and her career achievements in education, made her the obvious choice for this year’s award.”  
 
Founded in 1994, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History promotes the study and love of American history. The Institute serves teachers, students, scholars, and the general public. It helps create history-centered schools, organizes seminars and programs for educators, produces print and electronic publications and traveling exhibitions, sponsors lectures by eminent historians, and administers a History Teacher of the Year Award in every state through its partnership with Preserve America.  
 
More information is available at http://www.gilderlehrman.org.