Voices in Teaching: A Conversation with 2020 Nebraska Teacher of the Year Megan Helberg
This week we are very excited to kick off a new 16:1 series called Voices in Teaching, where we will interview educators who have been recognized for innovation and excellence in their craft. Our first featured educator is Megan Helberg, who hails from rural Loup County, Nebraska, where she taught 8th-12th grade English for 15 years. In 2020, Helberg received the prestigious honor of being named the Nebraska Teacher of the Year.
Helberg is passionate about Holocaust and genocide education, having received a Fund for Teachers grant to visit Holocaust-related sites throughout Europe and to purchase Holocaust literature resources for her school. Megan was named a Museum Teacher Fellow for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) in 2016 and now assists the USHMM as a mentor for incoming teacher fellows. Helberg was selected as a Lowell Milken Center Fellow in 2021, to The Olga Lengyel Institute (TOLI) summer seminar in 2022, and recently was selected to study at the highly-acclaimed institution, Yad Vashem. She is also the 2024 Anne Frank Educator of the Year.
Megan recently accepted a job with the Anne Frank Center (the Anne Frank House’s official partner in the USA), where she now travels the world to share resources, educational opportunities, and peer-to-peer trainings centered on the Frank family, the Holocaust, and the lessons of history that are still highly relevant to today’s learners.
In this episode, we explore Megan’s journey as an educator in the classroom and beyond, including the story of a heartwarming surprise meeting with Dr. Jill Biden at the White House. We also explore the challenges and rewards of teaching in a small, rural community and how teachers might foster a sense of belonging, community, and shared values among students. Megan’s innovative approaches to education, including the founding of a travel club that has taken students and community members around the world, exemplifies her belief in the power of experiences to broaden horizons and strengthen communal bonds.
Join us for an inspiring conversation that highlights the profound difference one dedicated teacher can make.
Sources & Resources:
Megan Helberg – Nebraska Department of Education