Cory Vasek is the junior high social studies teacher at Mary Our Queen school in Omaha, NE. With a Bachelor’s in Education from University of Nebraska-Omaha and a Master’s in curriculum and instructional science, he has over 20 years of teaching under his belt. As part of his work in the classroom, Cory teaches an interactive, project-based Democracy Unit to the entire 8th grade class, which included elements of the Nebraska Civic Health Index and an overview of neighborhood advocacy with ONE Omaha.
Cory is a 2008 James Madison Fellow, which is a selective fellowship designed to support graduate studies that include a concentration on American History and the principles of the U.S. Constitution. Cory also serves as a member of the executive board for the Nebraska State Council for the Social Studies, where he works with the state’s social studies teachers and other educational institutions. In his spare time, Cory coaches high school girls basketball.
For his initiative to emphasize civic education in his 8th grade classroom, we are pleased to announce Cory Vasek as a winner of the Outstanding Educator award