Governor Abbott Announces Inaugural Gubernatorial Historic Promotion And Patriotism Awards

TEXAS, November 6 - November 6, 2025 | Austin, Texas | Press Release

Governor Greg Abbott and the 1836 Project Advisory Committee today announced the launch of the Gubernatorial Historic Promotion and Patriotism Awards, an annual recognition program honoring Texas educators and advocates whose work demonstrates significant achievements to promote the history and patriotism of Texas.

"We must always remember the men and women who bravely defended our state and country," said Governor Abbott. "Texans who educate future generations understand the principles and values our soldiers courageously defended. These new Gubernatorial Historic Promotion and Patriotism Awards will recognize the important work done by Texans who preserve and promote the history and patriotic knowledge of our great state."

“There is a lot of great work going on across our state, and so much of it goes unrecognized,” said Texas 1836 Project Advisory Committee Chair Dr. Don Frazier. “Community members and hardworking teachers are pouring their lives into the story of our state, and these awards represent our small part in recognizing them for their efforts.”

“The Governor's 1836 Project Advisory Committee is particularly proud to honor our teachers and educators who are promoting patriotic education and historical awareness across Texas,” said 1836 Project Advisory Committee member Dr. Caroline Crimm. “Our teachers deserve to receive all the thanks and appreciation that we can bestow.”

The Gubernatorial Historic Promotion and Patriotism Awards highlight those who are actively advancing that mission through education, storytelling, and community engagement.

Gubernatorial Award categories include:

• Individual Excellence: Honoring long-term contributions by educators and advocates of Texas history and patriotism.
• Project Innovation: Recognizing recent initiatives that creatively interpret, preserve, or promote Texas’s historic and prehistoric resources.

Nominations are open now through January 31, 2026. Recipients will be selected by the 1836 Project Advisory Committee, which includes historians, educators, and preservation experts from across the state. The awards are presented through the patronage of the 1836 Project Advisory Committee and are designed to recognize meaningful contributions to historic promotion through increased public awareness, appreciation, and support. Presented annually in Austin, the awards include formal recognition and a monetary prize.

In 2021, the Texas Legislature passed and the Governor signed into law House Bill 2497, which established the 1836 Project as an advisory committee to promote patriotic education and historical awareness across Texas and is dedicated to ensuring that Texans of all ages understand the values and events that shaped our state.

For nomination guidelines and more information, visit tea.texas.gov/1836project.