2021 Peace Teachers
Jessica Culver, Ozark High School, Ozark, AR
Jessica Culver teaches social studies, including concurrent college credit history courses, at Ozark High School in Ozark, Arkansas. Jessica holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Studies Education, and a master’s in History and in Education/Library Media from Arkansas Tech University. She is a certified yoga instructor, a 2020-2021 Fulbright Teacher for Global Classrooms, a National History Day Teacher, an Economics Arkansas Master Economics Teacher, a National Geographic Educator, a recipient of the 2021 Arkansas Ag in the Classroom award for incorporating agriculture into her social studies classroom, and she received recognition from the Goethe-Institute’s “Our Sustainable Future” 2021 international competition. Jessica is also active with the Bill of Rights Institute and the Jumpstart organization. She can be found traveling with her family, reading, listening to podcasts, and getting outdoors for adventures.
Matthew Morrison, International Academy, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Matthew Morrison currently teaches International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme History, Honors World Studies, and American Government at the International Academy in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. A 25-year veteran teacher, he has also taught AP U.S. History, AP World History, AP Psychology, Humanities, French, and Film. He earned a B.A. in History with minors in political science and French (1995) and a master’s in Curriculum and Teaching (1999) at Michigan State University. Having studied, lived, and taught overseas, Mr. Morrison is passionate about global education which has led him to a UK Fulbright Teacher Exchange and study tours to Japan, Korea, and South Africa. A passion for travel has led him to over 50 countries and he frequently escorts student groups on trips around the world. His other passions include coaching Quiz Bowl and promoting social justice initiatives. Mr. Morrison enjoys spending time with his husband, Marc, and dog, Archie.
David Pearl, Yarmouth High School, Yarmouth, ME
David Pearl teaches Global Issues, Middle East History, and Economics at Yarmouth High School in Yarmouth, Maine. Since graduating with a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and earning a Master’s in Teaching from the University of Southern Maine, Mr. Pearl has spent most of the past 30 years in the classroom. His passion for teaching history, social justice and human rights was transformed by his years living and teaching in South Africa. In addition to teaching history, he advises the Global Action Club and recently retired after a long career as the Boys Varsity Lacrosse coach. David and his family live on an island and with his wife have raised four children and four dogs who love the outdoors. Their youngest child has just graduated high school, and David is excited about exploring new ways to teach about international conflict management and peacebuilding and working with colleagues who share his passion.
Haydee Rodriguez, Central Union High School, El Centro, CA
Haydee Rodriguez, NBCT is a high school teacher and state policy maker; she currently teaches World History, Journalism, and AVID at Central Union High School in El Centro, CA, where she is also the AVID Coordinator. Rodriguez has received various awards and fellowships for her commitment to equity and access locally and at the state level. In 2016, she was named Stanford GSE Alumni of Excellence, Woman of the Year by both her Assembly member, Eduardo Garcia (2016), and later State Senator Ben Hueso (2020). Haydee Rodriguez’s commitment to global understanding and goodwill can be seen in her work with IREX as an International Leader in Education (ILEP), where she represented the U.S. for a month in Brazil, and through the Transatlantic Outreach Program, where she visited East and West Germany to study their educational system, apprentice programs and opportunities for immigrants. Ms. Rodriguez also represented Southern California Rotary International in West Africa.
Erin Sullivan, Cab Calloway School of the Arts, Wilmington, DE
Erin Sullivan has taught high school social studies at Cab Calloway School of the Arts in Delaware for 16 years. She currently teaches AP Psychology, AP U.S. History, and U.S. History Honors, and is the high school social studies department chair. She also runs the National History Day program for the high school, which has been one of the most rewarding experiences of her career. Ms. Sullivan holds a B.A. from the University of Toronto in History, a M.A. from the University of Delaware in Economics, and is completing a M.A. in American History from Pace University and the Gilder Lehrman Institute. She is the recipient of multiple teaching awards, including the Gilder Lehrman Delaware History Teacher of the Year and James F. Harris History Teacher of the Year as a state winner and national finalist. She is a coffee and tea enthusiast, loves reading, and spending time with her husband and two children.
Kim Warren, Utah International Charter School, Salt Lake City, UT
Kim Warren has taught middle school ELA at Utah International Charter School for the past eight years with a pedagogy that normalizes multilingualism by drawing on the students’ own linguistic resources and perspectives to translate and create meaning. She began her teaching career in 2003 at a bilingual school in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and has since earned two master’s degrees in English: American Studies (University of Utah) and Education with a concentration on teaching English as a second language (Weber State University). As an educator and mother of four children, Kim prioritizes peacebuilding skills in her life and lessons because behaviors and beliefs about alternatives to conflict and violence start at home and in the classroom. She believes that peacebuilding empowers and motivates the disenfranchised and privileged alike to nurture the possibility and bear the responsibility of creating, holding, and maintaining peace within ourselves, our communities, and our world.