Welcome Page - Mr. Witte

Hello! I've had the great fortune to grow up in Kearney, Nebraska and then teach social studies at Kearney High School since the 2000-2001 school year. I currently teach AP World History, AP Human Geography, Philosophy, and World Geography, as well as coach Ninth Grade Boys Basketball. I completed my bachelor’s degree in the social sciences with an endorsement in secondary education from Doane College (2000), a master’s degree in Education: Curriculum and Instruction from Doane College (2002), and a master’s degree in history from the University of Nebraska at Kearney (2005). My educational mission is to empower young people to be citizen diplomats, build bridges of understanding, and be problem solvers in the community, our nation, and the world.

This mission to foster greater international understanding has led to my participation in numerous fellowships, study programs, delegations, and workshops including the Fulbright Italy Classics Seminar, Fulbright-Hay’s Seminar to Egypt, National Endowment for the Arts Summer Institutes to South Africa and Turkey, Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Workshop in Cambodia, the American Youth Leadership Program to Singapore and Malaysia, and the National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellow Program to Svalbard, as well as led student groups to Italy, Greece, Ireland, the United Kingdom, China, and most recently, a Sister Cities soccer exchange to the Czech Republic. My hope is that these experiences help equip me to bring the world to my students in all its wonder, complexity, challenges, and opportunties.

Since establishing the AP World History course at KHS in 2003, my passion for world history education has opened the door to national leadership opportunities in course and curriculum design, as well as providing professional development for teachers through AP World History workshops and summer institutes. I recently completed a six-year term of service on the AP World History Test Development Committee and serve on the Leadership Team at the AP World History Reading. I also review assessment items and serve on the PreAP World History and Geography Development Committee. In 2013, I was recognized as a Milken Educator Award recipient. 

Mr. Witte's 2024-2025 Course Schedule