Heintz has participated in two Teaching American History Grant programs to foster excellence in history instruction in Fairfax County. His research into the history of Laurel Grove School, a one-room school founded by former slaves in Franconia in the 1880s, and his development of lesson plans weaving the history of the school into the broader study of the Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras, was supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.
"Brian Heintz creates enthusiasm for the study of history by showing his students how the great events and movements of the past helped shaped their own communities,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright said. “He equips his students with the research skills they need to make their own discoveries and contributions to the historical record."
The West Springfield High teacher was one of 17 nominees for the award and was selected for the honor by a committee of educators and historians from James Madison University, the University of Virginia, the Virginia Historical Society and the Library of Virginia.
