Claire Anderson: 2026 Fund for Teachers Fellow

2026 Fund for Teachers Fellowship Awarded to US History Teacher Claire Anderson 

Congratulations to Upper School History teacher and department head Claire Anderson, who was recently selected as a 2026 Fund for Teachers Fellow. 

Claire initially applied for the Fund for Teachers summer grant in January, and received notification in late March that her proposal was accepted. The letter to Claire from Fund for Teachers shared, "Your proposal stood out in an exceptionally competitive pool for its thoughtfulness, creativity, and strong connection to your students and school community. We are inspired by your commitment to your practice and excited to support the fellowship you’ve designed." 

Both Claire and her husband (who teaches marine technology in the Anne Arundel school system) will be traveling to Nova Scotia this summer to investigate the history of Black Loyalists and other freedom seekers, maritime labor, and wooden boatbuilding traditions throughout Nova Scotia's coastal communities. Claire plans to develop an interdisciplinary curriculum that explores the African American diaspora, freedom routes, and global connections around the Atlantic world as part of the SSFS Upper School history program. The topic will be especially relevant for the AP African American Studies course, as well as world and U.S. history.

Claire shares, “SSFS is located in a fascinating region that has historically been shaped by both enslaved and free Black communities, Quaker abolitionism, and Underground Railroad networks. I've often wondered, 'what happened next?' What happened to the Black soldiers who supported Britain in the Revolutionary War because they were promised freedom? What happened to those freedom seekers who actually made it across the border of Canada? I'm grateful to Fund for Teachers for allowing me to learn about this history in person and share it with our community."   

See the full list of 2026 fellows and their projects here.