Historical Thinking Cultivates Citizens.
Our vision is that all students will mature into thinking citizens, equipped with the essential skills to participate in a robust democracy. Therefore, with constitutional principles as our foundation, students will be empowered to analyze information effectively, think historically, and write persuasively in order to build a more democratic future.
Our Team
GET TO KNOW US.
Our team is made up of passionate educators who believe that thinking historically is essential for good citizenship.
Spenser Mix
Chief Operating Officer
Elizabeth Connolly
Chief Partnership Officer
Zachary Cote
Executive Director
Johanna Mancia
School Success Manager
Annie Jenson
Director of Curriculum
VALENTINA CARVAJAL BUENO
Data Consultant
TIANA DAY
Community Outreach Manager
Zachary Cote
Before Thinking Nation, Zachary taught history at both the middle and high school levels for five years at Bright Star Schools. As a teacher-mentor and department leader, his passion was to ensure that a rigorous history education that emphasized historical thinking was available to all students. He earned his BA in History from CSU Channel Islands, where his love for history and history education blossomed. He holds a MA in American History from Pace University. Spenser mix
For Spenser, working in education has always been a dream. Prior to Thinking Nation, he taught 6th and 8th grade English for 3 years at James Jordan Middle School. Spenser earned his bachelor's degree from CSU Northridge with a major in Liberal Studies and a minor in Business Management. Spenser earned his MBA from Pepperdine University. Johanna Mancia
Johanna always knew that she wanted to work with kids, and fell in love with the process of education and teaching when she was attending CSU Northridge, where she earned her BA in Liberal Studies and multiple subject teaching credential. She spent 8 rewarding years teaching 6th grade ELA and Social Studies in charter schools. Her passion for writing and project-based learning lent itself to a seamless blending of historical content and a creative outlet for her students.
Annie Jenson
Annie has more than a decade of teaching experience in both rural and urban schools. She earned a B.A. in Social Studies Education from Bethel University and her M.A. in Education: Curriculum and Instruction from St. Catherine University. She completed her M.A. in American History from Pace University. Her passion is teaching American History with an emphasis on social justice. Allowing students to connect with a wider net of historical narratives has been a large focus of her curriculum development.
Valentina Carvajal Bueno
Valentina recently completed her master’s degree in Business Analytics from Pepperdine University. Throughout her life, she has always been involved in leadership roles in education as she believes it is key to better citizens and a better world. She was born in Colombia and came to USA at 17. Her passion for numbers also brought her to Thinking Nation; she is very data-driven and focuses her work on developing new discoveries that Thinking Nation leaders can use to inform future business decisions and strategies.
Liz Connolly
Liz believes that education is our greatest equalizer and has dedicated her professional life to helping others achieve their dreams by successfully navigating educational pathways. Prior to Thinking Nation, she served on the faculty at Nova Southeastern University where she taught literature and comparative studies. In recent years, she has worked for multiple educational, non-profit and corporate organizations focused on improving student outcomes. Liz earned her B.A. in Theatre from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and an M.A. in Liberal Studies from Nova Southeastern University.
Tiana Day
Tiana Day is a 20-year old community organizer, activist, speaker and the founder of the
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Youth Advocates for Change. Tiana's nonprofit aims to bridge
the gap between arts and activism for youth and teens by merging student passions with
projects that inspire social change.
Our Board of Directors
DINAH RUCH, Board President and CEO Attorney ARI ENGLEBERG, Secretary/ Treasurer Head of Communications & Strategic Initiatives, Harvard-Westlake School ROBERT LEE Associate Professor of Accounting, Pepperdine University WILLIAM PULGARIN Principal, The Columbus School
Our Curriculum is Historian Approved
Thinking Nation asks expert historians to review our curriculum before it is used in the classroom. We believe that students should engage with history in a way that mirrors the conversations happening at the scholarly level. Also, by including expert historians in the curriculum-writing process, we can build a better bridge between secondary classrooms and the university.
As a nonprofit, Thinking Nation cannot serve students without the generosity of others.
We're especially grateful for the scholars who have donated their time and expertise to making our resources stronger.
Dr. Carol Berkin Baruch College (Emeritus) Dr. Denver Brunsman The George Washington University Dr. Paul Cheney The University of Chicago Dr. Pearl Young University of Houston-Clear Lake Dr. H. Paul Thompson, Jr. North Greenville University
Dr. Manisha Sinha University of Connecticut Dr. Marc Van De Mieroop Columbia University Dr. Vincent J. Cannato University of Massachusetts Boston Dr. Robert Elder Baylor University Dr. Sheen Rajmaira California State University, Channel Islands
Dr. James Walvin University of York (Emeritus) Dr. Nadya Williams University of West Georgia Dr. Benjamin Foreman The Master's University - IBEX Dr. Andrew Robertson Lehman College
Why Partner with Thinking Nation?
chat_bubble Skills-Based Curriculum Our DBQ-Based Curriculum allows students to practice interdisciplinary reading, writing, and analysis skills necessary for success in all subjects.
Standards-Aligned Rubrics
Our rubrics are common-core aligned and focus on key writing skills measured across disciplines and on high stakes exams.
computer An Online Platform
Our curriculum can be administered exclusively online or in PDF form, allowing teachers to assign and teach DBQs both virtually and inside the classroom.
Measurable Data for Student Growth
Teachers are given easy-to-read data reports on student performance so that they can better tailor instruction to maximize student growth.
Expert Teacher-Graders
Our graders are teachers too! They have classroom experience and are thoroughly trained using Thinking Nation rubrics in order to ensure personal, yet cohesive, feedback on student essays.
Performance Tasks without Time-Consuming Grading
One of the biggest deterrents for administering rigorous performance tasks is the hours of grading that comes after. Our grading service gives teachers this critical time back.
Interested in becoming a grader for Thinking Nation?
We are looking for talented educators to become graders for our Thinking Nation Document Based Question assessments. Graders have great flexibility in when they grade, which essays they grade, and how many essays they wish to grade. Grading DBQs is also a great opportunity to gain a more broad perspective of student writing skills across schools.
Contact Us