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Maui educator Janyce Omura nominated for National History Day Teacher of the Year

Janyce Omura, a longtime teacher at Maui High School, has been nominated for the 2026 National History Day Teacher of the Year Award. Courtesy photo

Longtime Maui High School teacher Janyce Omura stands as one of 78 educators from across the United States who have been nominated for the 2026 National History Day Teacher of the Year Award. The National History Day program centers around an international student history contest that reportedly reaches more than half a million students and involves tens of thousands of teachers annually. For the competition, middle school and high school students get to choose a topic in history, research it and then present their conclusions through one of five formats, including papers, exhibits, performances, documentaries or websites. Throughout the process, the students work to develop skills in communication, project management and historical thinking. As a reward, the best projects, evaluated by historians and educators, get to advance through a series of contest levels leading up to the national contest. The nonprofit organization's staff worked with local programs to nominate up to one middle school teacher and one high school teacher from each state for the Teachers of the Year Awards and Omura was selected to represent Hawaii. Omura graduated from Maui High School in 1976 and began her teaching career in 1981. After working at Lanai High School and Lahainaluna High School, she returned to teach at Maui High in 1986. "It's nice to come home to the school you graduated from," Omura said. Omura teaches a handful of classes at her alma mater, but she especially enjoys the junior-level Participation in Democracy because of its relevance to students' lives today. "It brings a connection for them to what's happening locally, nationally, as well as on the international front," she said. Omura, who has been serving as a mentor for National History Day projects for more than 30 years, found out she had been nominated for the Teacher of the Year Award when she received notice from the Hawaii Council for the Humanities. "I was very surprised," she said. "And also, how can I say this? I was kind of like, 'It's not only me. I think all teachers who do History Day should be nominated for this award.'" Omura explained that she likes how History Day projects allow students to pick their own topics and present their research in the format that best fits their style. One of her students, junior Jaiden Ibanez, had Omura for AP World History this year. Ibanez said Omura's classroom is highly self-directed and encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning. "She essentially provided us with all the materials and tools we needed and let us go," Ibanez said. "I definitely struggled a bit at first with her style, but being in her class really helped me with my time management skills and learn the type of accountability I'll need to have in order to prosper in my academic future." Ibanez was the only student from Maui to qualify for this year's national National History Day contest. She said Omura went above and beyond to help make the trip possible, assisting with loads of paperwork, logistics and fundraising efforts, and even helping secure a $2,000 grant from the Maui High Foundation. "She was under no obligation to support me financially, but it means the world that she took it upon herself to help me this way," Ibanez said. Omura said one reason she values the program is that it helps students develop research, writing and communication skills. "I think it's important because, by engaging (the students) in something that they're interested in, it connects their research and literacy development along the way," she said. Omura called the research-based history projects "an excellent teaching tool for students." In addition to the benefits the students have gained from National History Day, Omura said she has also enjoyed building friendships with other history teachers. "We all support each other in the process of doing history together," she said. Omura takes great pride in teaching and said was drawn to the profession because she wants her students to learn about the world around them. "I was very fortunate because, when I was younger, I got to explore family trips abroad, and I thought, 'Wow. We're so lucky to live in the United States,'" she said. "I appreciate that and I want the students to appreciate what we have here in the islands, in our government, in our nation. High school students, I think, until they graduate, they don't realize what we have here in Hawaii or here at home. By experiencing the world around them, I think they gather a deeper appreciation of Hawaii, our island." The Teachers of the Year Award winners will be announced at the NHD National Contest Awards Ceremony on June 18 in College Park, Maryland. One winner will be selected for both the middle school division and the high school division by a committee of teachers and historians. "I'm endlessly grateful for the lessons she taught me and her unwavering dedication to provide me with the opportunity to travel to National History Day this year," Ibanez said. "I'm proud to be representing Maui High and Mrs. Omura."

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