Jenifer Powell is the 2024 Centennial Bell Montana History Teacher of the Year. Powell is the seventh-grade social studies teacher at Corvallis Middle School, where she has demonstrated an exceptional dedication to teaching and a profound passion for imparting knowledge of the history of Montana to her students.
“One of Jenifer’s most notable strengths is her ability to create a dynamic and engaging learning environment that fosters critical thinking, curiosity, and a love for history among her students,” wrote fellow teacher Darci Herbstritt in a nomination letter. “She has a remarkable talent for bringing history to life and making it relevant to the lives of her students.”
Powell, who has taught history in Corvallis for five years, loves sharing the formation of Montana with her students, then “digging” into the past while studying Montana dinosaurs and prehistoric ancestors.
“One of the reasons I chose to teach history was to expose students to cultural diversity,” Powell wrote. “I feel it is extremely important for my students to be exposed to many ideas, backgrounds, and cultures because Montana is still a melting pot.”
That immersive teaching also includes an annual trip with 40 students to visit the Heart Mountain Internment Camp in Wyoming, where students are exposed to the consequences of being diverse, especially in times of war.
“In my classroom, I foster many conversations on how we are all different from one another, we come from different backgrounds and beliefs, yet we still hold the same needs and desires for acceptance, friendship, and love,” she wrote. “Being nominated for the Montana Statehood Centennial Bell Award is an honor.”
Her students clearly enjoy learning about Montana’s history from Powell.
“She makes Montana history interesting and keeps us locked in and entertained while teaching us tons without us really even realizing,” wrote Blakelee Borden, one of Powell’s students.
Powell will receive $3,250 from event sponsors Montana Television Network and the Sons and Daughters of Montana Pioneers. The money can be used for classroom materials, guest speakers, field trips, and anything else that enhances student learning. Other project supporters are the Montana Historical Society and the 1889 Coffeehouse in Helena.
Powell and her students will ring the Centennial Bell at 10:29 a.m. Nov. 8, the exact minute Montana became the 41st state in 1889. MTHS trustee Norma Ashby-Smith established the award in 1989 to honor the centennial of Montana statehood.