Joe Welch

Joe Welch currently teaches eighth grade US history at North Hills Middle School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He has taught within the North Hills School District for fifteen years, previously serving as seventh and eighth grade team leader for more than ten years. 

Welch holds a Bachelor of Science in secondary education, Bachelor of Arts in history, and Instructional Technology Specialist Certification from Duquesne University. He earned a Master of Arts in teaching from California University of Pennsylvania, where he also earned his Pennsylvania principal certification. 

Welch was named the 2019 National Middle Level Educator of the Year by the Association for Middle Level Education, as well as the 2019 Pennsylvania Social Studies Teacher of the Year. In 2018, he was recognized as National History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute. 

He often presents his experiences at regional, national, and international conferences and has authored a book, Interpreting Primary Sources with Stop Motion. Welch was recently elected to his local school board and serves on teacher advisory councils for the National Constitution Center, the Gilder Lehrman Institute, and Penn State University’s Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Initiative. An Apple distinguished educator and PBS lead digital innovator, Welch is a strong believer in bringing equitable opportunities, diverse stories, personal emotions, and community connections into lessons and in fostering experiences that promote student-led conversations to enact changes aligned to their passions and interests.