Pennington Traditional School teacher named Virginia Council for the Social Studies Teacher of the Year

The Virginia Council for the Social Studies (VCSS) named Erin Merrill, social studies teacher at Pennington Traditional School, Teacher of the Year.

Merrill received the award during the 2026 VCSS Conference, held recently at the William & Mary School of Education in Williamsburg. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to social studies education and leadership within the profession.

While Merrill is honored by the recognition, she says her greatest focus remains helping students develop the habits and skills they will need as informed and engaged citizens.

"I hope that my students take the civic habits they've started to build in middle school and continue into adulthood," Merrill said. "I want them to be informed, be confident about their opinions, listen respectfully to dissenting opinions, and want to help improve their community with service and action."

Merrill works to make history come alive by focusing on the stories behind the events students study. Through project-based learning, research activities, and creative assignments, students are encouraged to connect historical content to real people and real experiences.

"The best part of history, in my opinion, are the stories of the people who lived it," Merrill said. "So, everything in my class becomes a story."

Beyond the classroom, Merrill has contributed to social studies education at the division, state, and national levels. She helped develop curriculum resources for Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS), created a civics teacher Facebook community with more than 4,000 members, and serves on Virginia's curriculum materials review committee.

"Erin's passion for social studies and commitment to student learning make her exceptionally deserving of this recognition," said Jeff Girvan, supervisor of history and social science for PWCS. "She inspires students to think critically, engage thoughtfully with the world around them, and understand the importance of civic participation. We are proud to have her representing both Pennington Traditional School and PWCS."