WEST ORANGE, NJ –  West Orange High School Social Studies teacher Andrew Guglielmo has been recognized by the NAACP-Newark for providing outstanding Black History education to students.

“The award is from the Newark chapter of the NAACP, and each year they honor three educators for their commitment to teaching Black history. This year, I was selected as one of the honorees,” Guglielmo began.

At the urging of Social Studies District Supervisor Michael Figueiredo, Guglielmo submitted an application.

“A few weeks ago, The NAACP of Newark reached out to school districts inquiring if there were educators who should be nominated for their work teaching Black History in the classroom,” said Figueiredo.

“I recommended Andrew Guglielmo and asked Andrew to apply formally, including accompanying lesson materials,” he stated.

This is Guglielmo’s ninth year of teaching at WOHS. He is currently involved in writing the curriculum for the two courses he teaches, US History I and Introduction to Philosophy. He is also the advisor for the photography club and can be seen taking photos at several events during the year, including sporting events and the Senior Prom.

“I submitted an application that included material from the United States History I curriculum that I worked on along with student work. I also included my teaching philosophy about why I believe it is essential to include Black history throughout the year and center on the Black experience in the history of the United States,” explained Guglielmo.

On Feb. 7, Guglielmo was contacted by Dr. Leah Owens of the NAACP advising him that he had been selected as one of their three honorees. He will be officially recognized on Feb. 26 in a ceremony that will be streamed live on the NAACP – Newark Facebook page from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm EST. On Feb. 22, Dr. Owens visited West Orange High School to present Guglielmo with a framed poster and a thank you note.

“I am incredibly honored by this recognition and would like to thank the West Orange High School Social Studies department for their support and feedback, my supervisor for recommending me to apply, the NAACP for selecting me, and most importantly, my students for continuing to inspire me to do better every single day,” concluded Guglielmo.

(L-R) WOSD Social Studies Supervisor Mike Figueiredo, Andrew Guglielmo, Dr. Leah Owens, Asst. Principal Lesley Chung, Principal Oscar Guerrero

(L-R) Principal Oscar Guerrero, Andrew Guglielmo, Superintendent Hayden Moore, Social Studies Supervisor Mike Figueiredo