Katie Boland of Connecticut to Receive Street Law’s 2026 Classroom Champion Award

Street Law, Inc. is proud to announce Katie Boland, a social studies teacher at Trumbull High School in Trumbull, Connecticut, as its 2026 Classroom Champion.

The annual Classroom Champion Award recognizes educators who demonstrate exemplary use of Street Law materials and pedagogy. Nominations may come from administrators, colleagues, students, or the educators themselves. Recipients are chosen by a committee of Street Law staff, board members, and past honorees. Boland will accept the award at Street Law’s 2026 Awards Gala on May 6 in Washington, DC.

Across her courses, Boland uses Street Law resources to move students beyond memorizing constitutional concepts toward actively applying them. Through simulations, structured discussions, and other hands-on activities, her students explore how law and government shape their lives—and how they can participate meaningfully in democracy.

A hallmark of her teaching is the expansion of Street Law’s SCOTUS in the Classroom initiative. What began as a single-class activity now involves over 200 students annually, who use Street Law case summaries and instructional materials to analyze current Supreme Court cases, develop arguments, and participate in full moot courts. The program is rigorous, collaborative, and a cornerstone of Trumbull’s senior-year civics experience, serving as the culminating project in AP Government.

Boland also regularly integrates Street Law’s Legal Timelines into her teaching. Built around primary sources, the timelines cover topics such as federalism, presidential powers, suffrage, and students’ rights, helping students connect court cases, amendments, and broader constitutional trends. They allow her students to visualize key legal turning points, compare historical eras, and engage with complex material in ways that can be easily adapted to different skill levels.

Fellow educator Shari Conditt (Woodland High School, Woodland, WA) noted, “Katie Boland’s commitment to making law and justice studies accessible and engaging for every student is evident in her classroom. Her use of Street Law materials is a model of excellence in civics education.” Trumbull colleague Jack LaBarca added, “Katie constantly strives to build her content knowledge and methods of reaching her students and sharing her passion for history and government with not only her students, but our entire department as well.” These reflections highlight the care and intentionality that define Boland’s student-centered approach.

Her leadership extends beyond the classroom. For more than a decade, Boland has coached her school’s We the People team, guiding students to 14 state championships and five top-10 finishes at the national finals. She also advises Model Congress and the Rho Kappa National History Honor Society, creating additional pathways for students to develop civic knowledge and leadership skills. Her work has earned recognition from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the American Lawyers Alliance, and the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation. Boland is also an alumna of Street Law’s Supreme Court Summer Institute, which continues to shape her teaching.

Boland’s impact reaches the broader community as well. During election cycles, she partners with Trumbull Community Television to produce a live election night coverage program featuring students, providing hands-on experience in civic analysis and public communication. She also produces an annual Constitution Day video highlighting student perspectives, extending civic dialogue beyond the classroom.

In recognition of her impact in the classroom and beyond, Street Law CEO Ashok Regmi added, “Katie Boland represents the very best of civic and law-related education. Through rigorous, student-centered teaching and an extraordinary commitment to helping young people find their voice, she is preparing students not only to understand democracy, but to participate in and strengthen it.”

Through her work, Boland exemplifies Street Law’s mission—preparing students to understand the law and take an active role in democracy.