Nominations are open year round for the Massachusetts and National History Teacher of the Year programs to honor outstanding teachers of American history across the country. The Massachusetts History Teacher of the Year will automatically be the state's candidate for the National History Teacher of the Year award. The award is sponsored by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History (GLI).
We are seeking outstanding K–12 teachers who find creative ways to bring history alive in the classroom and in communities.
Teachers will be selected based on the following:
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History will honor each statewide winner with an award of $1,000, a certificate of recognition, an invitation to attend a Gilder Lehrman Teacher Seminar, and the opportunity for the winner's school to become a GLI Affiliate School. The Institute will also present the winner's school with a collection of American history classroom resources, given in honor of the state winner, for use in the school library or resource center.
To nominate a teacher and learn more about the award, visit the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History's website or contact the National History Teacher of the Year coordinator at nhtoy@gilderlehrman.org or 646-366-9666. You may also email the educator recognition mailbox at educatorrecognition@doe.mass.edu for more information.
History Teacher Community Academy Boston Public School District
Mansur Buffins is an educator committed to empowering youth and illuminating Black histories. He earned bachelor's degrees in African American Studies and Social Studies Education from the University of Georgia, and a master's in education leadership from Harvard University. He taught humanities courses and facilitated student-led civic projects at Tri-Cities High School in Atlanta and later at Community Academy in Boston. In 2025, he received Generation Citizen's Teacher Changemaker Award. Mr. Buffins is the Director of P-12 Education for Black American Descendants of the Great Migration and U.S. Freedmen and is a member of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.
Former Massachusetts History Teachers of the Year
Last Updated: August 12, 2026