Kym Wregglesworth

ONAWAY — Onaway High School social studies teacher Kym Wregglesworth was recently celebrated after being selected as a top-10 finalist for the National Civics Teacher of the Year Award from the Bill of Rights Institute.

The award was handed down earlier this week, but Wregglesworth said she was pleased at being able to be a finalist.

“I was very humbled to be chosen,” Wregglesworth said. “I was very proud of the fact that my work was recognized.”

Wregglesworth is no stranger to being recognized for her teaching skills. In her 25 years as a teacher at Onaway, she has received multiple awards such as being named the 2015 High School Teacher of the Year by the Michigan Council for Social Studies and being recognized by the state as the 2018-2019 Region 2 Teacher of the Year and a top 10 finalist for Michigan Teacher of the Year.

As a teacher, Wregglesworth always looks to implement activities that encourage her students to not view civics as just something to be learned, but also as something to participate in.

“I try to do as much as I can to immerse students into doing civics, rather than just learning about it,” Wregglesworth said. “I tried to do as many activities where they are using information using data to drive their own interpretations and their own conclusions.”

Wregglesworth’s ultimate goal is to provide students with both the drive and curiosity to seek out new information and new perspectives and the tools to be able to understand and parse that information.

“I want them to become lifelong learners. I want them to be curious about the world that they live in, to the point that they’re going to search out information,” Wregglesworth said. “When they do search out that information, I want to be able to equip them with the tools that they can determine what information is valid and accurate and what information maybe is not valid or is biased in some way.”

The school district recognizes and appreciates Wregglesworth for her drive and dedication to providing the best education she can for students.

“It’s a great honor not only for Kym, but our school and our entire community,” Onaway Principal Marty Mix said. “She’s just constantly trying to find ways to make her instruction better and provide additional opportunities for our kids. Our community is just so lucky to have someone like her and her leadership and guidance in the classroom.”