Know of an educator or teacher who deserves recognition for making a difference in the lives of their students and in their community? Then submit their name today for a 2010 H-E-B Excellence in Education Award. Nominations for the awards are being accepted online at www.heb.com/education.Printed forms can also be found at H-E-B stores. Deadline to submit a nomination is December 4, 2009.
The H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards were created to celebrate outstanding public school professionals whose leadership and dedication inspire a love of learning in students. One nomination can place a teacher, principal or a school district on the path toward winning a cash prize ranging from $5,000 to $100,000. Educators and school districts are strongly encouraged to submit their own names to the awards for consideration.
All nominees will be sent an invitation to complete an online application form. The purpose of the application is to gather additional insights from a nominee to be used for judging purposes. In the online application, a nominee will be asked to provide written responses sharing their teaching philosophy, learning experiences, and thoughts on issues facing educators in Texas. The deadline to submit an online application is January 22, 2010.
All completed applications will be included in a regional judging process, with 225 semifinalists receiving an H-E-B Gift Card and a certificate of recognition from H-E-B Chairman and CEO Charles Butt. Forty-eight finalists, representing five Texas regions, will also be selected during the process and invited to compete on a statewide level for one of 10 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards and cash prizes.
About the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards
The H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards program was launched in 2002 in cooperation with the Texas Association of School Administrators as a strong way to support public education in Texas. It is a personal initiative of H-E-B CEO and Chairman, Charles Butt, who implemented the program to highlight the outstanding practices of Texas public schools and celebrate the work of Texas educators. Since the inception of the program H-E-B has awarded over $4 million to more than 1,000 educators and 205 schools and districts across the state.
Each of the 48 statewide finalists will be notified of their special status during surprise visits to their schools, March 22 - April 9, 2010. Each teacher/principal finalist will be awarded $1,000. Teacher finalists will also receive an additional $1,000 for their school and principal finalists receive an additional $2,500. The eight finalists in the large (5A, 4A) and small (1A, 2A, 3A) school district categories will receive $5,000 and $2,500, respectively.
Finalists will also receive an invitation for an all-expense-paid trip to Houston for the statewide competition and awards ceremony. At the ceremony, 10 grand-prize winners - two principals, six teachers and two school districts, one large and one small - will be announced at a celebratory awards dinner to be held on May 2, 2010.
Each winning principal—one elementary school and one secondary school—will receive a $10,000 cash prize and a $25,000 grant for his/her school. The winning large school district will receive a $100,000 cash prize. The winning small school district will receive $50,000.
The six winning teachers will include one elementary and one secondary teacher in each of three categories:
- The Rising Star Award — honors exceptionally promising teachers with less than 10 years of experience. These winners will each receive a $5,000 cash prize plus a $5,000 grant for his/her school.
- The Leadership Award — honors teachers with 10 to 20 years in the classroom. These winners will each receive a $10,000 cash prize plus a $10,000 grant for his/her school.
- The Lifetime Achievement Award — salutes teachers with more than 20 years of experience. These teachers will each receive a $25,000 cash prize and a $25,000 grant for his/her school.
About H-E-B
For more than 100 Years, H-E-B has been an innovative retailer. Known for its fresh food, quality products, convenient services, and a commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability, H-E-B strives to provide the best customer experience at every day low prices. Based in San Antonio, H-E-B employs more than 70,000 Partners and serves millions of customers in more than 150 communities throughout Texas and Mexico. For more information, visit www.heb.com.
Contacts:
GDC
Marcie Casas, 210-223-2772
mcasas@gdc-co.com