Lauren Boop ’12, an alumna of Appalachian’s middle grades education program and one of 15 members named to the 2018–19 National Humanities Center Teacher Advisory Council. Photo courtesy of Lauren Boop
BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University alumna Lauren Boop ’12 is one of 15 members appointed to the National Humanities Center’s 2018–19 Teacher Advisory Council. Her one-year appointment began Aug. 1, 2018, and will continue until July 31, 2019.
Boop, who teaches sixth-grade social studies and seventh-grade science at Hilburn Academy in Raleigh, said the appointment has allowed her “to connect with like-minded and passionate educators around the country. Through the center’s work, we are pushing for more engaging and innovative ways to let the world appreciate the humanities.”
One such endeavor highlighting this work, she said, is the Humanities Moment project, which was created by the National Humanities Center in partnership with the Federation of State Humanities Councils.
The project seeks to gather stories from individuals from all lifestyles, encouraging them to reflect on the ways the humanities have shaped their perceptions, helped them connect with the past, imagine a better future, or forge deeper connections to other people, cultures and communities.
Boop credits her time at Appalachian and her incredible professors for developing her strong instructional leadership skills. “I am thankful that Appalachian State shaped me into the educator that I am today,” she said.
Boop graduated summa cum laude from Appalachian in 2012 as a North Carolina Teaching Fellow with a B.S. in middle grades education-science and social studies. She earned her master’s degree in middle grades social studies education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2015.
Her interests include global education, as well as world histories, politics and cultures. Additionally, she has held many educational fellowships:
- A Kenan Fellowship (2013–15), in which she worked in microbiology and immunology labs at both North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and then partnered with NC State’s 4-H organization to design hands-on microbiology curricula for middle school students, giving a historical perspective to the curricula.
- A TEACH Fellowship through the Bilateral US-Arab Chamber of Commerce, in which she traveled to the Middle East to discuss STEM-based best practices and educational policies with business and educational professionals.
- In 2016, she traveled to South Africa to participate in a Go Global NC professional development program, exploring disparities in access to wealth, resources and education.
- Over summer 2018, Boop participated in NC State's Research Experiences for Teachers program, studying brachial plexus injuries in rats to better understand how similar injuries affect bone and muscle growth, as well as overall shoulder function, in infants. The experience, according to NC State's news release about the program, informed how Boop and other educators teach STEM subjects in the classroom.
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About the National Humanities Center Teacher Advisory Council
The National Humanities Center (NHC) Teacher Advisory Council is a 15-member board that supports the Education Programs of the National Humanities Center for a one-year term of service. Chosen to represent multiple disciplines in the humanities, these teacher leaders accept an active role in the development, evaluation and promotion of NHC materials and projects. Learn more at https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/education-programs/teacher-advisory-council-2018-19.
About the Department of Curriculum and Instruction
The Department of Curriculum and Instruction offers a broad range of comprehensive degree programs at the baccalaureate and master’s levels. The department seeks to provide quality programs that emphasize the integration of academics and field experiences. Learn more at https://ci.appstate.edu.
About the Reich College of Education
Appalachian State University offers one of the largest undergraduate teacher preparation programs in North Carolina, graduating about 500 teachers a year. The Reich College of Education enrolls more than 2,000 students in its bachelor's, master's, education specialist and doctoral degree programs. With so many teacher education graduates working in the state, there is at least one RCOE graduate teaching in every county in North Carolina. Learn more at https://rcoe.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
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