MENDON — At Nipmuc Regional High School, students tackle community issues, interview residents about historic events and practice making their cases in mock trials.
History teacher Darcy Daniels draws on those experiences in a new book she co-authored to help educators prepare students for active roles in their communities.
Superintendent Dr. Maureen Cohen and Co-Principals John Clements and Mary Anne Moran congratulate Daniels on the book, which she wrote with fellow educator Denise Furlong.
"Portrait of a Citizen: Strategies and Tools for Teaching Action Civics in Grades 6-12" gives teachers ways to help students put their civics lessons to use.
Lessons ask students to investigate local problems and consider possible solutions. The book also addresses misinformation and how to discuss difficult topics with people who hold different views. Teachers and school leaders can use the book to plan lessons that give students practice with those skills and a chance to contribute to their communities.
"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."
That work has a close connection to Mendon-Upton's Portrait of a Learner. Like schools around the world that have adopted Portraits of a Graduate, the District emphasizes "durable skills" that students will need long after graduation. The book shows how civics classes can help students build those skills, from communicating clearly to solving problems with others.
Mendon-Upton’s 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, with opportunities for students 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 has more than two decades of experience teaching students from fifth grade through college in the United States 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.
In 2025, Nipmuc’s Social Studies Department received the 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 civic education 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.