The winner of the 2026 Holocaust Educator of the Year Award is Jenny Buchanan, a history teacher at Lee’s Summit North High School in the Lee’s Summit School District, Lee’s Summit, MO. Jenny was recognized at the annual Academic Awards Ceremony on May 5, 2026 where she received an award of $500.

Jessica Rockhold, MCHE’s Executive Director, said, “Over the course of her career, Jenny has shown impressive dedication to furthering her own knowledge about the Holocaust and has demonstrated an outstanding level of engagement with MCHE programming and professional development sustained over many years.”
For example, during the 2025-26 school year, Jenny:

• Taught a semester-long Holocaust elective – well above and beyond the requirements of the state of Missouri mandate;
• Worked with MCHE to help her students complete a client-connected project which asked them not only to understand the history and the impact on survivors, but to consider the sensitivities of communicating in the social media space; and
• Worked cooperatively with MCHE to develop a workshop for educators about the Rwandan Genocide – featuring learning she gained on the ground in Rwanda.

An excerpt from Lauren Hollingsworth’s nomination of Jenny for the HEDY Award:
[Jenny] intentionally moves Holocaust education beyond historical study and into moral reflection and civic responsibility. She helps students examine not only what happened, but why it happened—and what responsibilities individuals hold in the face of injustice. Through careful analysis of choices made by perpetrators, bystanders, rescuers, and victims, students come to understand the power of individual agency and the consequences of silence.

From Kate Sweeney’s nomination form:
“Jenny approaches professional development in Holocaust education as an ongoing responsibility rather than a requirement to check off. She consistently seeks opportunities to deepen both her historical knowledge and instructional practice, ensuring her teaching reflects current scholarship and best practices.”

And from nominator Sara McGurk:
“In her classroom, Ms. Buchanan creates a learning environment that is both academically rigorous and emotionally safe. She understands that Holocaust education requires care, sensitivity, and intentionality, and she approaches the subject with compassion while maintaining high expectations for historical accuracy and understanding. Through primary sources, survivor testimony, and inquiry-based discussion, she helps students examine the Holocaust. Her instruction emphasizes historical accuracy, responsible use of sources, and critical thinking, ensuring that students distinguish between verified facts, interpretation, and misinformation.”

If you would like to read Jenny’s acceptance speech, you may do so using the button below.