The Society is proud to share that the Maryland Council for Social Studies selected Nicole Maffei, our Director of Civics Education, for the 2026 Outstanding Professional at a Social Studies Related Organization award!
Nicole joined the Society in October 2022 after teaching for 11 years in Baltimore County Public Schools. As Director of Civics Education, Nicole developed The Supreme Court and My Hometown, the Society’s innovative national civics program that provides an immersive federal court experience for high school students across the country in Federal Courthouses in their Hometowns. Nicole also created Beyond the Bench, a civics website dedicated to the history of the Supreme Court featuring case summaries, life stories, articles, infographics, and primary sources contextualized in broader American history. Both initiatives have grown exponentially since their launch in 2023, a testament to Nicole’s innovation and leadership.
As Executive Director James Duff noted:
“Nicole has led the Society’s efforts to expand our educational outreach throughout the country with great enthusiasm and energy, and the students’ and teachers’ reviews of our programs and materials have been inspiring.”
Nicole’s determination to make Supreme Court history more accessible to educators, students, and lifelong learners has helped the Society to embrace Chief Justice John Roberts’ 2019 call to action, “Civics Education is a continuing enterprise and conversation…We should celebrate a strong and independent Judiciary, a key source of national unity and stability. But we should also remember that Justice is not inevitable.”