Nipmuc History Teacher Darcy Daniels Co-Authors Book on Helping Students Become Engaged Citizens

MENDON — At Nipmuc Regional High School, students regularly tackle local issues, conduct oral history interviews, and argue cases in mock trials. History teacher Darcy Daniels is now using those classroom experiences to help educators nationwide prepare students for active civic life.

Daniels has co-authored “Portrait of a Citizen: Strategies and Tools for Teaching Action Civics in Grades 6-12” alongside fellow educator Denise Furlong. Published by Routledge, the book provides teachers with actionable strategies to help students put civics lessons into practice.

The book guides educators on structuring lessons where students investigate community problems, evaluate potential solutions, navigate misinformation, and engage in constructive dialogue across differing viewpoints.

“It was easy to find real-world examples from the amazing work that the Social Studies Department is doing every day at Nipmuc High School,” Daniels said. “Whether it’s the Civics Action Projects that address issues in the community, Oral History projects where students interview community members about their experiences around historic events, mock trials, or conversations around historical or modern issues, there are great things happening at Nipmuc. I feel lucky to work at a school that values real-world experience and building skills that students can take out into the community.”

The “Portrait of a Citizen” framework directly aligns with the Mendon-Upton Regional School District’s “Portrait of a Learner.”  Like schools around the world that have adopted Portraits of a Graduate, Mendon-Upton emphasizes the durable skills that students will need long after graduation.

Mendon-Upton’s Portrait of a Learner framework identifies six competencies: Mindful Learner, Global Citizen, Effective Communicator, Skillful Collaborator, Solution Seeker, and Inspired Innovator. Portrait of a Citizen applies that same emphasis on lasting skills to civic education, giving students opportunities to practice what they learn through work in their communities.

“Ms. Daniels has created a critical resource for our modern world — one that guides educators in instilling the durable skills of democracy that students need to make a lasting, positive impact on their community,” Co-Principal Clements said.

Daniels brings over two decades of teaching experience spanning fifth grade through higher education in the U.S. and abroad. A James Madison Memorial Fellow, she was named the 2024 Massachusetts History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Nipmuc’s Social Studies Department earned the 2025 Recognition of Department Excellence in Teaching Social Studies Award from the Massachusetts Council for the Social Studies.

“Darcy is the kind of teammate every educator hopes to have. She is passionate, thoughtful, generous and deeply committed to her students,” History Department Chairperson Matt Merten said. “Darcy brings incredible heart to teaching and continually invests her time and energy in helping young people become informed, engaged, and confident citizens who believe they can make a difference. This book is a natural extension of those beliefs and the impact she makes every day.”

Co-author Furlong is an assistant professor of education and director of Advanced Programs in Multilingual and Literacy Education at Georgian Court University in New Jersey. She has more than 25 years of experience teaching multilingual learners in New Jersey public schools.

“Ms. Daniels is a wonderful teacher who understands how to make learning engaging, actionable, and connected to the community,” Co-Principal Moran said. “It’s exciting to see how she is expanding her impact beyond our community by helping other teachers bring civics to life for their students.”

For more information about “Portrait of a Citizen,” visit the Routledge website.

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