Capital High School’s Shane Healy Honored With Above And Beyond Award

Shane Healy, a social studies teacher at Capital High School in Kanawha County, earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s December 2025 Above and Beyond Award. Healy was surprised during a school assembly when the WVPB Education team presented the award. His family, students and school administrators joined in celebrating his achievement. As part of the recognition, Healy received a monetary award and a signature Blenko Glass apple paperweight. The West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office, presenter of the SMART529 college savings program, proudly sponsors the award.

Healy teaches AP U.S. History, Civics and Economics, Government, and AP World History. He also serves as an assistant coach for the Capital Cougars football team and advises the school’s National Honor Society. From chaperoning prom to organizing service projects and trips to the West Virginia Capitol, he consistently shows up for his students.

He works to make civics relevant and engaging. Through his annual Rock the Vote at Capital initiative, Healy invites local leaders to speak with students and helps eligible students register to vote. He regularly takes students to observe legislative sessions at the State Capitol and chaperones a winter trip to Washington, D.C., giving students a firsthand look at government action.

“Having students leave my room with an understanding of what is going on in the world and how they can play a part is so rewarding for me,” Healy said. “It is never my goal to impress my opinions on my students, just to help them find their opinions and understand why they feel the way they do.”

Healy brings history to life through interactive classroom traditions. Each year, students participate in a funeral for Abraham Lincoln, writing and delivering eulogies from the perspective of historical figures connected to Lincoln. The project encourages research, empathy and critical thinking.

Relationships are central to Healy’s approach. “I have never been the type of person to come to work, do my job and go home,” he said. “When the students see that you care about them and the things they are involved in, that pays off huge in the long run.”

As National Honor Society advisor, Healy helps lead volunteer efforts in the community, including serving at a local nursing home and supporting the local food bank. He participates in the Alzheimer’s Walk in Charleston each year, modeling the civic engagement he encourages in his students.

More than anything, Healy hopes students remember how much he cared. “I hope they remember the three branches of government. I hope they remember the importance of the U.S. Constitution,” he said. “But more than anything, I really hope the students remember how much I cared about them. Civics is important to me, history is important to me, but who they are as people is the most important thing to me.”

Each month of the school year, WVPB has an esteemed panel of judges who select one deserving teacher who goes above and beyond for the students in West Virginia. If you know of a deserving teacher who goes “Above and Beyond,” please click here to nominate them.