Carmi-White County High School teacher Carlin Fleming-Smock has been named the 2026 Illinois History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.
The annual award recognizes outstanding K-12 educators for excellence in teaching American history and honors one teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools and U.S. territories.
Fleming-Smock has taught history for 16 years and currently teaches in her hometown of Carmi. She also serves as an assistant golf coach, sponsors the CWC Historians club, is secretary of the White County Historical Society, and serves on the advisory board of the Illinois State Historical Society. She was named the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Fellows’ Fellow in 2024 and received the Carmi Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professional of the Year award in 2025.
“It is an honor to be selected for this award,” Fleming-Smock said. “To be recognized by the Gilder Lehrman Institute on behalf of the State of Illinois is a true privilege.”
As Illinois’ History Teacher of the Year, Fleming-Smock will receive a $1,000 honorarium, educational materials, and recognition at a local ceremony. She also advances as one of 53 finalists for the 2026 National History Teacher of the Year Award, which will be announced later this fall.