[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 87 (Friday, May 25, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1179]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 TRIBUTE TO KEIL HILEMAN, THE D.A.R.'S OUTSTANDING TEACHER OF AMERICAN 
                                HISTORY

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                           HON. DENNIS MOORE

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 24, 2007

  Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Keil Hileman of DeSoto, KS, who in April was awarded the national 
Daughters of the American Revolution [DAR] Outstanding Teacher of 
American History award. This award honors notable, full-time teachers 
of American history and related fields, such as social studies, 
government, and citizenship education. The teacher must have the 
ability to foster the spirit of American patriotism and loyal support 
of the United States and constitutional government and demonstrate the 
ability to relate the subject to modern life and events.
  Sponsored by the Prairie Rose Chapter of the DAR, which is located in 
Overland Park, KS, in the Third Congressional District, Mr. Hileman was 
top winner in the state of Kansas and then selected for the national 
tribute from state winners from across the Nation and overseas. On June 
30, 2007, Mr. Hileman will receive his award at DAR Continental 
Congress in Washington, D.C.'s Constitution Hall.
  Mr. Hileman, who teaches at Monticello Trails Middle School in 
Shawnee, Kansas, says his passion is to make history a part of the 
students' quality world. His success centers on his ``classroom 
museum,'' filled with a potpourri of 20,000 artifacts he uses to teach 
events in American history. He began his museum by bringing heirlooms 
from his own collection to his class, and it has grown to thousands of 
items from contributions by families of students and community members. 
The historical artifacts, ranging from the ordinary but old to the 
extraordinary and rare, are all available for close examination by the 
students.
  Among his many honors, Mr. Hileman was: the 2004 Kansas Teacher of 
the Year; the first Kansan to win the Horace Mann-National Education 
Association Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence, in 2004; and was 
one of four finalists for The National Teacher of the Year award. He 
has taught at the middle school level for 14 years in the DeSoto 
Unified School District, where his courseload includes an elective 
class using his artifacts collection called ``Museum Connections.'' 
Additionally, he teaches a hands-on archaeology course at Johnson 
County Community College, a classroom museum course for teachers at 
MidAmerica Nazarene University and a graduate/undergraduate, artifact-
supported history class at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
  Keil Hileman's classroom credo is: ``explore your world, empower 
yourself and those around you, excel in everything you do!'' I am proud 
to represent this outstanding educator and caring individual in the 
United States Congress. I join with the Prairie Rose Chapter of the 
Daughters of the American Revolution in commending Mr. Hileman for this 
truly well-deserved honor and I hope that his dedication to educating 
young people serves as an inspiration for others to enter the teaching 
profession.

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