EDGARD – Rajwantie Sahai, a geography and history teacher at West St. John High School, has been recognized by the VFW Post 339 as this year’s high school recipient of the National Citizenship Teacher Award for St. John the Baptist Parish.

The award recognizes teachers who promote civic responsibility and patriotism to their students.

Sahai’s students have participated in a variety of educational projects this year that garnered the attention of the VFW’s judging panel.

Her ninth-grade World Geography classes have worked on solutions that address the major loss of wetlands in Louisiana, and more recently, they have begun focusing on developing ways for the governments of Latin America to protect their resources for the people of countries there.

Meanwhile, Sahai’s senior-level World History class recently investigated ways in which the events of World War II could teach the current generation how to approach challenges to human rights, political alliances and the formation of peace agreements. These studies are helping students to find ways to relate the past to the present.

“These projects are not only intended to address educational standards, but also to promote a sense or personal responsibility in the world,” Sahai said.

“I am greatly honored to be recognized by the VFW, and I am hopeful that my students do develop a greater sense of civic responsibility and patriotism thanks to the projects we are working on in class,” she said.

Superintendent Courtney P. Millet, Ph.D., recognized Sahai at January’s school board meeting. “We are very proud of Ms. Sahai’s effort and the positive impact she is having on her students. This award recognizes her contributions to promoting positive values among our students,” Millet said.