Established in 1995, this prize honors the Beveridge family’s long-standing commitment to the AHA and K–12 teaching. Friends and family members endowed this award to recognize excellence and innovation in elementary, middle school, and secondary history teaching, including career contributions and specific initiatives.
The prize will be awarded on a two-year cycle rotation: in even-numbered years, to a group; in odd-numbered years, to an individual. The current prize amount is $1,000.
The 2026 prize will be awarded to a group, who can be recognized either for excellence in teaching or for an innovative initiative applicable to the entire field.
Application Process
Log into your MY AHA account at historians.org/myaha and click “Available Application Forms” in the AHA Awards, Grants, and Jobs section. If you don’t have an account, create one for free at historians.org/createaccount. If nominating someone else, select the Nominate button and search for the nominee’s existing record or create a new record. (For a group project, select one person to be the main nominee and include other names later.)
- Fill in the application form, which includes the nominee’s contact information and the names of additional nominees (if group nomination).
- Upload an Application Packet as a single PDF. Include the following documents:
- Nomination letter describing the individual’s or group’s contribution, discussing the achievement or innovation in approach and development, and summarizing the historical scholarship utilized
- CV highlighting educational experience, teaching, and advocacy of the nominee (for the individual award)
- Supporting materials (up to 10 pages), such as additional letters of support, course materials, excerpts from a textbook, or other evidence of contribution
Please Note: The competition will open in mid-March 2026. Entries must be received by May 15, 2026, to be eligible for the 2026 competition. Entries will not be returned. Recipients will be announced on the AHA website in October 2026 and recognized during a ceremony at the January 2027 AHA annual meeting in New Orleans.
For questions, please contact the Prize Administrator.
Past Recipients
Current Recipient
Christopher W. Stanley, Ponaganset High School
Christopher W. Stanley’s class embarked on a project that combined elements of place-based inquiry, ongoing nested investigations, and interactions with the community. Engaging students in both primary and secondary sources, the unit investigated the history of the Nipmuc, a local Indigenous people. Students created historical markers and collaborated with Indigenous groups on a land acknowledgment ceremony. The project demonstrates the way that inquiry-driven history instruction can bring schools and communities into productive conversations that yield greater awareness and inclusion.