RECOGNIZING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUTSTANDING EDUCATORS

"A fellow teacher introduced me to NSHSS. She was awarded a $1000 grant from the organization and spoke with great admiration about her experience. Last school year I applied for a grant but was not successful. After reading about other candidates experience with NSHSS, I was encouraged to apply again this school year. I was excited to receive the email of me being a successful recipient of the grant. I am grateful of the honor. I will share my experience with other teachers and encourage them to also join the organization."

"NSHSS provides numerous opportunities for students and educators to receive the resources they need to implement innovative teaching in their classroom."

"Thank you so much for the grant! I love coaching extracurriculars for students, especially those that are academically-oriented. I feel that students who prefer academics over athletics are often overlooked at the high school level. Budgets and boosters are there for football, basketball, and even marching band. However, there is not always support for academic clubs like creative writing or chess. Further, if a school offers advanced academics like computer science and engineering, they have already invested a lot in the day-to-day operations. But what about extra projects or competitions? I will be using this grant to purchase competition polos for our Academic Decathlon team and blazers and neckties/cross ties for our Mock Trial team. The clothing serves as a team uniform, providing identity and showing the students that they are important representatives of our school and district! Thank you so much for making this possible!"

"I have witnessed amazing collaborations and projects across the curriculum in my time here, and none of them would be possible without the use of the resources and materials I offer to students and staff. In these stressful and turbulent times, my Fab Lab is a haven to so many, who want to create amazing projects and express themselves creatively. It is a “no-judgement zone”, and a safe space in which all students feel comfortable being themselves and learning and growing in their own way as they travel down their individual paths in life. I provide solace and a chance for my patrons to search for and find new hobbies, and pursue their goals and dreams. I have helped several students who have started their own businesses make merchandise and promotional items to advertise and gain more clientele. I have provided teachers options to assess student learning by offering them unconventional methods to create and show their understanding and mastery of skills. I open my library to our feeder high schools’ Special Education departments in which students who do not qualify to take higher-level classes here in our Center for Advanced Studies to utilize these wonderful resources. I have worked one-on-one with several of these students to help them create projects with resources they normally would not have access to in their programs. The funds this grant would provide would allow me to buy so much to keep the Fab Lab functioning as a free resource for all who wish to utilize it."

"Dear NSHSS, I want to thank you for providing this grant to help my students in the BSU and ASU so they may continue their work in cultivating a sense of belonging for students of all identities at our school. It warms my heart to know that NSHSS truly sees the value in investing in our youth. Please keep making dreams come true and never cease pouring into our greatest natural resource, our youth!"

"Thank you so much for this generous grant, which affirms the time and heart I invest in striving to make my classes meaningful."

"Being in the education field, while rewarding, is also very challenging. I love working with children and families and this grant affords me the opportunity to excel in the field and tackle some of the most challenging situations. I am so grateful to receive this! Thank you so much to NSHSS for awarding me this grant! This is amazing!"

"I am truly thankful for this wonderful blessing that was bestowed upon me and my cross country team for this monetary gift in the form of a grant. NSHSS has been a truly awesome program to be a part of that I try to share with my students as a teacher, advisor, and coach. The opportunities that are available are truly top notch. Thank you."

"I am very appreciative of NHSS! My first experience with the group was as a high school student but was reintroduced when a student nominated me for Educator of Distinction in my 8th year of teaching. I have since applied for grants and have received much-needed funding for my dance classes. NHSS has been a wonderful resource for me as an educator."