The Lincoln County School District is praising two educators who recently received awards.
Rachael Yaden has received the 2025 Meece Award for Excellence in Social Studies Education.
Yaden, a 20-year veteran of social studies education, is currently serving as the Lincoln County High School Instructional Coach.
She has been a Master Teacher with the White House Historical Society Teacher Institute, presented at numerous KCSS conferences, presented at NCHE and NCSS (and will be presenting again at NCSS in December).
She has also written curriculum for Summit Learning, written curriculum for Lincoln County Public Schools, had an inquiry publish on C3 Teachers, and is currently a member of the C3 Leadership Academy with Dr. Kathy Swan.
She is also a certified LDC Coach and Thinking Maps Coach. She is also currently serving as a WAMS (Women and the American Story) Ambassador.
The district said that Yaden is passionate about history education and the importance of providing accessible inquiry to all students. She also believes in designing rigorous, relevant and vibrant learning experiences and sees inquiry as the path to all of them.
The Meece Award honors excellence in Social Studies education in Kentucky, and nominations are submitted to the KCSS Steering Committee for selection. Considerations include the nominee’s contributions to history, geography, economics, and civics education, support of advancement of Social Studies curriculum and instruction. Recipients are not always a classroom teacher, but someone who goes above and beyond to support social studies education.
Crystal Nicely was also recently recognized by the school district.
Nicely has been named the 2025 Fred Award winner.
“Crystal has been a valuable member of the Stanford Elementary staff for over 20 years,” the district said in a press release.
The Fred Award is reserved for the district’s classified support staff that consistently go above and beyond the call of duty for students and staff.
“Fred Award nominees are the beacon of brightness in buildings that seek little to no affirmation, but continually step up to the plate to make a difference in the lives of students and the culture of schools,” the district said.
The award is inspired by author Mark Sanborn and the award is named in honor of Fred Shea, the subject of Sanborn’s national bestseller, The Fred Factor.
“Nominations for this distinctive award should embody the four principles described in the book – an individual who chooses to make a positive difference each day, has a heart for people, changes ordinary moments into memorable ones, and leads by example,” the district said.
