Other1 min read

Meryl Streep-backed museum to honour teachers behind AP history push

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The two Atherton, California teachers created the proposed course, informally dubbed WAPUSH, to stand alongside existing Advanced Placement subjects like European, World, and African American History. To validate the course's rigor, they rallied written endorsements from 100 colleges and universities agreeing to grant credit or advanced placement to participating students. The educators will formally receive their recognition on November 6, 2026, in Chicago at the 15th annual Women Making History Awards Gala.

Key points

  • The new educator award specifically celebrates teachers who integrate women's historical…: The new educator award specifically celebrates teachers who integrate women's historical contributions directly into standard classroom learning.
  • Grassroots curriculum developers leveraged widespread higher education endorsements to pr…: Grassroots curriculum developers leveraged widespread higher education endorsements to prove the academic necessity of specialized women's history coursework.
  • The November 2026 Chicago gala will honor these pioneering educators alongside other prom…: The November 2026 Chicago gala will honor these pioneering educators alongside other prominent figures, including civil rights icon Ruby Bridges.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Two high school history teachers from California are set to receive the first Meryl Streep Educator Award at a national awards gala on 6 November 2026. The award recognises their work to create the first Advanced Placement course focused entirely on American women's history. The award ceremony will take place in Chicago. It follows a major donation worth seven figures that actor Meryl Streep made to the National Women's History Museum in March 2026. The donation aims to expand the museum's educational programmes and digital learning resources. According to announcements from PR Newswire and the National Women's History Museum, Kristen Kelly and Serene Williams, teachers at Sacred Heart Preparatory in Atherton, California, were selected for their work to develop an Advanced Placement U.S. Women's History course. The course is informally known as WAPUSH. Their campaign has received official support from 100 universities and colleges across the United States.

National recognition at Chicago gala

The award will be presented during the museum's 15th annual Women Making History Awards Gala. Streep, who is the honorary chair of the 2026 event, created the…

Other