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Street Law is proud to announce that the recipient of its 2020 Educator of the Year Award is social studies teacher William Scott. This award is given annually to an educator who teaches students in an exceptional manner and uses Street Law materials.
In Mr. Scott’s 21-year career as an educator, he has had the opportunity to work with young people in many different capacities. After beginning his career as a high school basketball coach, Mr. Scott went on to serve as a history instructor, computer lab manager, mental health technician, and counselor for Hallmark Youthcare Incorporated, a youth-serving agency in his community of Richmond, Virginia.
Since 2010, Mr. Scott has taught the United States Government course at Armstrong High School, a Title I public high school in Richmond that serves a student body primarily composed of young people of color.
Shaped by his time working with underserved and underresourced young people in both academic and community settings, Mr. Scott’s teaching philosophy reflects his belief that it is essential to help all young people achieve their academic and personal goals. He believes that his role in the classroom is to establish a collaborative partnership between himself and his students. Mr. Scott uses a whole child approach to promote social-emotional growth and a sense of civic responsibility.
Students respond well to his approach. One student told Street Law that Mr. Scott’s class helped them learn to “always stick to what you want to do, and do not let anyone tell you cannot do anything.”
Mr. Scott partners with Street Law through the organization’s Legal Diversity Pipeline Program. He collaborates with professionals from Capital One’s legal department to facilitate his students’ participation in the program, which includes visits from the lawyers, lessons on everyday law and legal careers, and annual field trips to Capital One’s headquarters for a Legal Careers Conference.
“We’ve had an incredible partnership with Mr. Scott,” says Brent Timberlake, an attorney and vice president in Capital One’s legal department who works closely with Mr. Scott and Street Law in the program.
These field trips and lessons underscore Mr. Scott’s belief in the power of Street Law’s interactive materials. Rather than sitting and listening to a lecture on the law, his students have the opportunity to simulate a day in the life of an attorney—they engage in interactive workshops, share lunch with the lawyers, and participate in networking and career exploration activities. Mr. Scott encourages his students to feel as comfortable as possible talking with legal professionals and to view the Legal Diversity Pipeline Program as an opportunity to gain the skills and confidence required for success in college.
Because of his excellence in reaching students through Street Law curricula and programming, Street Law is proud to present the 2020 Educator of the Year Award to William Scott.
Image: Award recipient Mr. Scott