Windermere Prep staff member receives outstanding educator award

Justin Muenker, a high school social studies teacher and an IB CAS and service learning coordinator at Windermere Preparatory School, received recently the University of Chicago Outstanding Educator Award.

Students accepted into the University of Chicago Class of 2028 were asked to nominate an educator whose guidance has helped them along the path toward intellectual growth. Responses were received from hundreds of students in recognition of educators who have positively impacted their lives.

This is Muenker's third year with WPS, and he has been teaching for 14 years in total. 

At WPS, Muenker has taught AP U.S. History, IB Global Politics and IB Business Management. 

As the CAS and service learning coordinator, his role is to help students in the IB Diploma Program with their CAS requirements to earn their IB Diploma. This includes setting up and conducting interviews, giving instruction on the CAS Project and helping students plan those projects, as well as overseeing their community service submissions. 

Additionally, Muenker oversees all high school students in their own community service work. 

"This includes feedback on their submissions, overseeing their progress and trying to find local opportunities in the community for students to work towards their community service graduation requirements in an authentic way that allows them to help out various local organizations addressing issues they are passionate about," he said. 

With a team of student leaders, Muenker also plans on-campus events, such as the school's yearly Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Event, which usually has roughly 120 students working on 18 to 20 community service projects. The group also plans service trips, such as an upcoming trip to Lisbon, Portugal. 

At the school, Muenker additionally serves as the high school Model UN teacher advisor. 

"We work towards preparation and participation in various conferences, such as the ones we attended last year at the International School of San Roberto in Monterrey, Mexico, and Harvard University Model UN," he said. "We are currently working on our preparation for the Model UN Conference hosted at the University of Chicago, which we will be attending in February." 

Muenker said it's an honor to be selected by the University of Chicago for its Outstanding Educator Award.

"I think the thing I find most fulfilling is that the award is based on the nomination of a former student," he said. "I am grateful that she thought of me as a teacher worthy of the recognition. We are a school with many outstanding educators, and I am proud to be among them and grateful for the chance to represent the profession as best as I can."