Amy Bush, a social studies teacher at Mehlville High School, was recently awarded a James Madison Fellowship.
Bush was the only recipient of the fellowship, known as the United States’ most prestigious award in constitutional history and government for secondary school civics teachers, from Missouri. In total, 43 James Madison Fellows from around the U.S. were selected by the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation this year in its 33rd annual fellowship competition.
“I am so honored and grateful to be selected as the 2025 James Madison Fellow for the state of Missouri,” Bush said. “Participating in this fellowship will further my content knowledge of the United States Constitution, its principles and its significance within our nation’s past and present. This opportunity will help me to provide higher-quality instruction to students and to foster greater collaboration with colleagues. My hope is that this experience will inspire students to become future civically engaged members of our community.”
The James Madison Fellowship funds up to $24,000 of each recipient’s course of study towards a master’s degree, which must include a concentration of courses on the history and principles of the U.S. Constitution. Recipients are required to teach American history, government or civics full-time in a secondary school for at least one year for each year of fellowship support.
“Ms. Bush is a dynamic and passionate teacher who does an amazing job of providing relevant and engaging experiences for her students. She demonstrates the connection between social studies content and the students’ everyday lives. She also works to include real-world learning opportunities through guest speakers and experiential activities,” Jason Landherr, Mehlville High School principal, said.