History and Social Studies teacher at Oakdale High School in Frederick County, MD
Keyword: Túpac Amaru Rebellion, The Shining Path, Migration in the Modern World, Religious Syncretism in the Americas
My name is Kate Ehrlich, and I recently started my 19th year of teaching high school history and social studies in Frederick County Public Schools (Maryland). I graduated from Towson University in May 2006 with a degree in History, Social Sciences, and Secondary Education and a minor in Spanish. I began my teaching career at Governor Thomas Johnson High School and transferred to Oakdale High School four years later. I earned my Master’s degree in the Humanities at Hood College in January 2010 and first obtained National Board Certification in 2011. I currently serve as a mentor to third-year teachers in my district and am the advisor for our school’s ECON Challenge team (reigning champs!). I have taught a wide variety of courses within my department at all academic and grade levels, including a new course (Cultural Identity in America: Race, Class, Sex, and Gender), which I co-wrote with colleagues in 2021-2022. In 2016, I was named Oakdale High School Teacher of the Year, and in 2024, I was selected as the Maryland Social Studies Teacher of the Year.
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Following two educator tours focused on African American history in the United States, hosted by the Institute for Common Power, I was able to engage in a special project with a group of students from my school. During the 2023-2024 school year, I received a grant to create a traveling history exhibit focused on the community where I teach. The Black History Exhibit Project (BHEP) examined the historical struggles and achievements of Frederick’s Black community. It was researched and created using student volunteers. I was very proud to lead a project where students were able to develop their historical research and writing skills and make a direct impact on the community. After presenting the exhibit at our local library, it moved through every high school in the district. It helped community members, teachers, and students broaden their understanding of often overlooked historical events and individuals.
I was inspired to participate in this trip to Peru because, much like my efforts to improve our teaching of Black history within my school system, I also want to see Latin American history better represented. The Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad was an opportunity for me to gain knowledge and create lessons that would later be disseminated to other teachers—many of whom (like me) were trained to consider historical events from a Eurocentric perspective. I am no stranger to educator travel and have been lucky enough to participate in other programs in China, India, Germany, Korea, Alabama, and Tennessee/Mississippi. After each trip, I have been able to bring new experiences and insights into my classroom. This experience in Peru has inspired me to create several lessons (linked on this page) that I hope others will consider using in their classrooms. I have personally gained a much deeper insight into Peruvian history and culture, which will benefit me in countless ways moving forward as I design new lessons and work to connect with a diverse student body.