CLARK COUNTY, Nev.,
Oct. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/
-- In recognition of teachers who inspire students to achieve
their greatest potential, National
University System has launched the first annual Sanford
Teacher Award, a half-million dollar award campaign to honor the
nation's top inspiring PreK-12 teachers. The Sanford Teacher Award
competition, which concludes Nov. 1,
will award the top inspirational teacher in each state with
$10,000, with the exception of one
top teacher who will be named a national winner and receive a grand
award of $50,000. As part of the
outreach activities, eighth grade teacher Alvin Dizon, of Robert
O. Gibson Middle School in the Clark County School District, was recognized
for being one of five inaugural Sanford Teacher Award recipients
identified for their commitment to creating inspirational and
harmonious classrooms that support student development and
achievement.
To celebrate the Sanford Teacher Award launch, Dizon was
surprised with a $10,000 cash award
after being recognized as representing the key characteristics of
inspiring teaching that are central to the Sanford Teacher Award.
Surprise celebrations were previously held in honor of the other
inaugural award recipients in Los
Angeles, Dallas and
San Diego, and the final inaugural
award recipient will be honored in New
York City next week. As an inaugural Sanford Teacher Award
recipient, Dizon was chosen for his dedication to creating a
supportive classroom culture for students by emphasizing mutual
respect and acceptance through engaging social emotional learning
curriculum.
The five are supporting efforts in raising awareness of the
national Sanford Teacher Awards competition, leading up to the
announcement of the additional 50 winners in November. The Sanford
Teacher Award also celebrates the commitment of philanthropist T.
Denny Sanford, who is the visionary
behind two research-based pre-college programs that are being
expanded nationally through the leadership of the private,
nonprofit National University System:
Sanford Harmony is a PreK-6 social emotional learning program that
helps children develop communication and collaboration skills, and
the PreK-12 Sanford Inspire offers teachers research-based
resources and lessons to create inspiring classroom
experiences.
"There is no higher calling than being a teacher, and as the
teacher workforce is under heavy demands, it is important to
provide educators ongoing professional development that supports
and inspires them in their classrooms," said Dr. Michael R. Cunningham, Chancellor of the
National University System, a network
of nonprofit education institutions that serve lifelong learners
from PreK to graduate level. "Teachers are the driving force of
innovation in education, so we are honored to collaborate with
Denny Sanford on the national
expansion of the Sanford Programs and we congratulate the inaugural
five recipients for their commitment to creating meaningful
learning experiences for their students."
The Sanford Teacher Awards are part of the national expansion
efforts of the three Sanford Programs, which also includes a
nationwide network of institutes anchored by the Sanford Institute
of Philanthropy at National University
that offers training programs for front-line nonprofit fundraisers.
All three programs are based on the vision of Mr. Sanford, who has
donated about $130 million toward
their national expansion effort led by the San Diego-based National
University System – an effort that involves the
collaboration of universities around the country that share a
similar focus and dedication to the professional support of
educators and the nonprofit sector. To date, more than 3 million
people have been impacted by the programs.
"As a child, I was fortunate to have a few teachers who truly
inspired me to learn and succeed. Educators have many similar
opportunities to touch children's lives and make meaningful impacts
that can last a lifetime," said Mr. Sanford. "As an entrepreneur
and philanthropist, I can think of no better return on investment
than inspiring students to embrace learning and find their path in
life."
Sanford Harmony is a PreK-6 research-based social-emotional
learning program that cultivates strong classroom relationships
between all students. Sanford Harmony has been recognized by the
Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
as a quality program, and is reaching more than a million students
nationwide, including in the largest school districts, through
easy-to-integrate lessons, activity cards and story books that
encourage students to develop empathy, communication skills, and
positive peer relationships by learning how to collaborate and look
beyond perceived differences.
As the nation faces an increasing teacher shortage exacerbated
by teacher retention challenges, the PreK-12 Sanford Inspire offers
a toolkit of research-based teaching methodologies, and on-demand,
self-guided modules that are accessible online to help teachers
create inspiring classroom environments that encourage students to
succeed. The Sanford College of Education at National University, which has a campus in
Henderson, is also a leader among
a growing number of universities that have integrated Inspire
principles into their teacher education curriculum. In conjunction
with the Clark County School
District, National University also
supports inspiring teaching by offering an accelerated, affordable
pathway toward a teaching degree through the APPLE program (an
acronym for Accelerated Preparation Pathway to Licensure and
Employment).
The criteria for selecting 50 Sanford Teacher Award winners,
which will be announced by November
2018, is based on the following characteristics of inspiring
teaching: Enthusiasm for teaching; empathy and warmth towards all
students; fosters positive relationships with all students; creates
a positive learning environment; and recognizes student strengths.
The finalists' nominations form will be reviewed by a selection
committee based at National University
in La Jolla, California.
To learn more about the Sanford Teacher Award and nominate an
inspirational teacher, visit the Sanford Teacher Award page.
View Fox5 Las Vegas coverage of
the award presentation
About the National University
System
The National University System is a
network of accredited nonprofit education institutions serving
higher education and K-12 students that includes National University, John F.
Kennedy University, City University of Seattle, and the Division of Pre-College
Programs. Established in 2001 to meet the emerging challenges and
demands of education in the 21st Century, the network's
complementary universities offer pathways for students to attain
professional and terminal degrees through quality and innovative
programs delivered in a format that is flexible to the needs of
adult learners. The anchor institution, National University, was founded in in 1971 and is
among the largest private, nonprofit institutions of higher
education in California with more
than 150,000 alumni. For more information on the National University System:
https://www.nusystem.org.
About the Sanford Education Center and Sanford College of
Education at National University
The Sanford Education Center at National
University was established in 2014 through the generous
support of philanthropist T. Denny
Sanford to provide innovative programs in the nonprofit and
PreK-12 sectors. The Center, in coordination with universities
around the country, is leading the national expansion of three
initiatives: Sanford Harmony, Sanford Inspire and the Sanford
Institute of Philanthropy. The Center's initiatives are supported
by the National University System,
National University, and the
University's Sanford College of Education, which is named after Mr.
Sanford in recognition of his role in developing and supporting
programs that promote prosocial behavior among children. The
College is among the Top Ten largest schools of education in the
country and prepares more teachers than any other university in the
state of California. Learn more:
sanfordprograms.org
SOURCE National University