Eastern High School teacher Mark Olesh was presented the Caleb Mills Indiana History Teacher of the Year Award on Saturday, Nov. 9. The award presentation by the Indiana Historical Society (IHS) took place at the John Hay Center in Salem.
The Caleb Mills Indiana History Teacher of the Year Award, named in honor of Caleb Mills, the father of Indiana's common schools, is made annually to a teacher (teaching grades 4-12) currently teaching American or Indiana history and recognized by his or her colleagues as making a significant contribution to the understanding of these two fields by his or her students.
In addition to teaching English, U.S. History and Government at Eastern High School, Olesh is also an accomplished cross country and track coach, as he is always incredibly involved in his school.
Olesh has a bachelor's degree in both History and Criminal Justice from Indiana University. He recently worked towards his master's degree in History and wrote his thesis on local newspaper coverage of the Civil War. He has interest in obtaining his PhD.
He is planning to conduct more local research on some not well-known topics, including doing a story covering the Poor Farm in Washington County.
IHS recognizes outstanding individuals whose efforts have enriched the lives of others by conveying awareness and appreciation of Indiana's history on local, regional and statewide levels.
“Many Hoosiers have been inspired by these individuals and organizations and their dedication to history, as they share their knowledge and work throughout their communities and across the state,” said Jody Blankenship, president and CEO of the Indiana Historical Society. “We’re thrilled to present these awards in person to each of our winners, celebrating their contributions and recognizing the tremendous value they bring to keep Indiana history alive in our communities.”
For more information about the Indiana Historical Society, call (317) 232-1882 or visit www.indianahistory.org.
Tamara Hemmerlein discussed Mark Olesh's influence in promoting history prior to presenting him with the History Teacher of the Year award.