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OPPY Award Winner 1999, Rod Sellers

Rod Sellers has been a high school social studies teacher for over 30 years. He has taught American History, Chicago History and Law at Washington High School on the Southeast Side of Chicago for 13 years. He holds a B.A. in History from the University of Illinois and M.A. degrees in Urban Studies and in Public Service, both from Governors State University.

In partnership with the Southeast Historical Society, Sellers has worked extensively with his students on the following projects: Mexican Community of South Chicago; World War II and Its Effects on the Southeast Chicago Community; The Hegewisch History Project; and Southeast Side Industrial Sites. He has a special interest in local history and coordinates a Museology program for Washington High school gifted students.

Sellers recently completed an article for Illinois History Teacher magazine entitled “Teaching History with Photographs” and co-authored his first book, Chicago’s Southeast Side, a 128-page pictorial history published by Arcadia Publishing of Charleston S.C. Sellers was a Golden Apple Finalist in 1995. He received the Thanks to the Teachers Award from WBBM Channel 2 Chicago in 1995, the Illinois Law Teacher of the year fro the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago in 1996, the National History Day Teacher of 1998 from Illinois History Preservation Agency, and was one of the only 36 teachers national wide honored this year with a Walk Disney Channel American Teacher Award. Most importantly, he has received a number of Oppenheimer Family Foundation Teacher Incentive Grants.