Two high school history teachers from California are set to receive the first Meryl Streep Educator Award at a national awards gala on 6 November 2026. The award recognises their work to create the first Advanced Placement course focused entirely on American women’s history. The award ceremony will take place in Chicago. It follows a major donation worth seven figures that actor Meryl Streep made to the National Women’s History Museum in March 2026. The donation aims to expand the museum’s educational programmes and digital learning resources. According to announcements from PR Newswire and the National Women’s History Museum, Kristen Kelly and Serene Williams, teachers at Sacred Heart Preparatory in Atherton, California, were selected for their work to develop an Advanced Placement U.S. Women’s History course. The course is informally known as WAPUSH. Their campaign has received official support from 100 universities and colleges across the United States.
National recognition at Chicago gala
The award will be presented during the museum’s 15th annual Women Making History Awards Gala. Streep, who is the honorary chair of the 2026 event, created the educator award to recognise teachers who include women’s contributions to history in everyday high school lessons. Along with Kelly and Williams, this year’s award recipients and honourees include civil rights pioneer Ruby Bridges, sports executive Laura Ricketts, the U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team, business founder Gregg Renfrew, and law firm ArentFox Schiff. The National Women’s History Museum was founded in 1996 as an educational organisation that mainly operates online. It is hosting the event as part of the country’s preparations for the 250th anniversary of the United States. In press materials released by the museum, President and Chief Executive Officer Frédérique Irwin spoke about the importance of including different voices in history education and making learning opportunities available to everyone. “From Ruby Bridges’ courage to ArentFox Schiff’s longstanding partnership and Kristen Kelly and Serene Williams’ leadership in transforming history education, this year’s honorees demonstrate that preserving and expanding opportunity begins with ensuring every generation has access to the full American story,” Irwin said.
Grassroots campaign gains university support
Kelly and Williams began working on the proposed course at Sacred Heart Preparatory because they believed that traditional high school history programmes were missing an important part of American history. Under the current Advanced Placement programme managed by the College Board, high school students can take specialised courses in European History, World History, African American History, and Art History. However, there is no separate Advanced Placement course dedicated to women’s history. To show that colleges and universities were interested in the subject, Kelly and Williams started a nationwide campaign. Their goal was to get higher education institutions to recognise the proposed course and offer college credit or suitable course placement to students who completed it. According to information released by Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton, the campaign reached an important milestone after receiving written support from 100 colleges and universities. These endorsements confirm that the participating institutions would accept course credits or offer students suitable placement after completing the proposed curriculum. The course will use original historical research, old records, and legal documents to explore women’s leadership, work, and social movements throughout North American history.
Philanthropic backing expands classroom reach
The creation of the educator award is directly linked to the expanded work made possible by Streep’s financial support for the museum. In March 2026, the museum announced that Streep had made a major donation worth seven figures. The money will help create digital learning materials for classrooms, training programmes for teachers, and online exhibitions. These resources are designed to reach schools across the country. Speaking about the importance of historical stories and preserving culture, Irwin explained the long-term purpose of the donation.“Meryl Streep understands that storytelling shapes culture, and culture shapes what societies believe is possible,” Irwin said in statements reported by The Times of India. “Her remarkable gift allows us to meet this moment with urgency and imagination, reaching new generations with stories that inspire confidence, ambition, and progress.”Speaking about her continued support for the museum, Streep also highlighted the importance of keeping accurate historical records for future generations.“The National Women’s History Museum has long been a catalyst for bringing forward the stories that deepen our understanding of who we are,” Streep said in statements reported by The Story Exchange. “I am proud to continue supporting this essential work so that future generations inherit a history that is both truthful and complete.”The 6 November gala in Chicago will also raise money for the museum’s digital educational resources and programmes that provide support to teachers. Ticket proceeds will help fund these efforts and expand access to women’s history education.