iCivics Announces Inaugural Winner of The Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Prize for Excellence in Teaching Civics

Shari Conditt, a US history teacher at Woodland High School in Woodland, WA, is named the first recipient of the award that honors Justice O'Connor's legacy in civic education

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- iCivics, the nation's leading civic education nonprofit and provider of free, nonpartisan civic education resources, today announced that Shari Conditt, a US History Teacher at Woodland High School in Woodland, WA, is the inaugural recipient of The Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Prize for Excellence in Teaching Civics.

The award, presented at the annual conference of the National Council for the Social Studies in Washington, D.C., is named for Justice O'Connor, who founded iCivics after retiring from the U.S. Supreme Court. Seth Harris from Shaker Middle School in Latham, NY, and Dr. Shelina Warren from Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C., were named as finalists for the award.

Unveiled ahead of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, the prize was established by Justice O'Connor's former law clerks to honor her unwavering commitment to civic education, which she considered her most important legacy.

Since she founded iCivics in 2009, the organization has grown to serve nearly 150,000 educators and 9 million students per year across all 50 states and 80% of U.S. counties.

Conditt has taught AP Government, AP U.S. History, and U.S. History for the past 25 years. She is a National Board Certified Teacher and a member of the iCivics EdNet. She was the 2024 Bill of Rights Institute National Civics Teacher of the Year, the 2016 Washington State History Teacher of the Year, and the 2025 Ft. Vancouver Region SAR History Teacher of the Year.

The annual award recognizes exemplary members of the iCivics Educator Network, a group of more than 300 civics, history, and social studies teachers, who demonstrate excellence, dedication, and innovation in teaching the foundations of democracy. The finalists will be featured at the Civic Learning Week National Forum in Philadelphia, March 9–10, 2026.

About iCivics
iCivics is the nation's largest provider of civic education curriculum, reaching over 9 million students annually. Founded by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in 2009, iCivics provides free educational resources that teach students about government, law, and civic participation through engaging, nonpartisan games, lesson plans, and authentic learning experiences. For more information, visit www.icivics.org.

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SOURCE iCivics