The Peggy Renner Award for Teaching and Curricular Innovation recognizes an historian who has developed a college or university course that engages students in exploring the links between contemporary issues and the past. Applicants must have membership that is current through the award year (December 31, 2026) when they submit their application. Current WAWH board members are not eligible to apply. Applicants may apply for the award in more than one year but may win only once. Applicants must hold a Masters or Doctorate degree and be teaching the course submitted for the award as the instructor of record/overseeing their own course, not assisting or under the supervision of another instructor. Applicants shall be actively engaged in teaching at an accredited college or university, and therein engaged in teaching that is historical in nature, although the course does not need to be within a History department if it is offered within a related department or field. The course submitted may be a course listing specifically titled as a topic associated with linking the past and contemporary issues. It may also be a course listing titled as a general topic within which the instructor can demonstrate consistent integration of the links between contemporary issues and the past. Evidence for the latter must be clear in the syllabus and other submitted materials. Applicants must submit a copy of the course syllabus, which identifies the significant contemporary topic(s) and related historical material. A summary of the course content is also required. Combined, the syllabus and summary of the course content should address: (1) Contemporary sources used to establish the significance of the issue in contemporary society; (2) Historical sources used to engage students in contextualizing the topic(s) and exploring the history of the issue; (3) Instructions associated with assignments that reveal students' engagement in exploring the relationship between present issue(s) and the past. Applicants must also submit one confidential letter of recommendation from a colleague or supervisor who is familiar with and can attest to the innovative quality of the course, its contribution to the curriculum, and the effectiveness of the applicant. The letter must confirm the course was taught. It is optional but applicants may also submit one or more letters of recommendation written by students who took the course. Please visit the award's website for more information.