MTHS Announces Montana History Teacher of the Year

• October 28 2024

The public is invited to attend the celebration for Jenifer Powell as the 2024 Centennial Bell Montana History Teacher of the Year.

Before retiring in June 2024, Powell was the seventh-grade social studies teacher at Corvallis Middle School, where she demonstrated an exceptional dedication to teaching and a profound passion for imparting knowledge of the history of Montana to her students.

She and her former students will come to Helena on Nov. 8 – Statehood Day – for a ceremony to celebrate her commitment to teaching Montana history.

The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. at the Montana State Capitol in Helena near the Centennial Bell next to the Old Supreme Court chamber. Powell’s students will ring the Centennial Bell at 10:40 a.m., the exact minute Montana became the 41st state in 1889. Students also will lead attendees in the Montana state song and recited the preamble to the 1972 Montana constitution.

Darci Herbstritt, Corvallis Middle School Gifted and Talented teacher, nominated Powell for the award.

“One of Jenifer’s most notable strengths is her ability to create a dynamic and engaging learning environment that fosters critical thinking, curiosity, and a love for history among her students,” Herbstritt said. “She has a remarkable talent for bringing history to life and making it relevant to the lives of her students.”

Powell will receive $4,250 from the program’s sponsors: Montana Television Network, the Virginia City Preservation Alliance, and the Sons and Daughters of Montana Pioneers, who also will present a plaque and two copies of the book “Dreams across the Divide.” 1889 Coffee House will provide lunch for Powell, her former students, and her guests following the ceremony.

Powell’s prize money will be used to help fund fieldtrips, supplies, speakers, and anything else that will enhance learning in Corvallis schools.

Powell was a hands-on teacher. Her students first learned about the earliest inhabitants of our region through pictographs and petroglyphs, building and practicing throwing atlatls, and participating in trade simulations for early native cultures to learn trade routes and the concept of reciprocity. When her students studied the gold rush, they completed a week-long simulation for mining gold, buying mining equipment, and then opening stores and banks.

“My classroom is almost always active and often noisy, but it's a good productive noise,” Powell said.

This is the 35th annual Montana Statehood Centennial Bell Award Ceremony. Former newscaster Norma Ashby-Smith of Great Falls established the program in 1990 to perpetuate the awareness of Montana’s birthday. On even numbered years a Montana history teacher at the 7^th-12^th grade level is chosen.  On uneven years a Montana History teacher at the 4^th-6^th grade level is chosen.