RECOGNIZING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUTSTANDING EDUCATORS

"I have had several students apply for grants and scholarships through the NSHSS and this year I decided I should apply as well! I am excited to use this grant to create more STEAM opportunities for my students this school year!"

"Page High School AVID Club would like to extend our sincerest gratitude and thank-you for this opportunity. This support will have a lasting impact on the educational aspirations and future success of our high school students. Your support will enable us to provide them with invaluable opportunities for personal and academic growth, ultimately helping them achieve their goals of attending and succeeding in college."

"Democracies cannot stand without quality education for all. Over the past years, I believe it has been challenging for all educators to endure those who would attack the important, vital work we do on a daily basis. The public is often blind to all that we provide our students and their families. Who feeds and clothes our students when their families cannot? Your public schools. Who provides mental health services and tries to keep our students safe and healthy? Your public schools. Who is trying to provide innovative rigor and opportunity? Your public schools. Without these essential services, our communities would be significantly less safe, and we would all struggle to thrive. Thank you for celebrating all of the educators and students who work tirelessly to better our communities. Thank you for understanding that quality education is the heart and soul of greatness."

"This grant provides our students with the opportunity to focus on the important things, like engineering and learning, rather than on where the money for their designs will come from. We are very grateful for this opportunity!"

"I am grateful to NSHSS for awarding me this grant. With their support, I will be now be able to provide a better cross-cultural learning experience to students in my French classes. Without the support of NSHSS, I would not be able to make mastering a second language as authentic and meaningful for students as I now will. Thank you, NSHSS, for your generosity and support of teaching and learning."

"I am deeply honored to receive this grant from NSHSS. This support not only validates the importance of our work in promoting mental health and well-being in schools but also empowers us to continue making a positive impact. Working with students, especially in areas like mindfulness, autism acceptance, and social skills development, has been incredibly rewarding. Collaborating with colleagues and providing training for staff and parents are crucial steps in creating an inclusive and supportive educational environment. I hope my journey inspires other educators and students to pursue their passions and strive for excellence. Together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of our students and the broader community."

"I am beyond grateful to NSHSS for awarding me the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion grant. This grant is an incredible support for my Theatre program and will make a meaningful impact in the lives of my students. Thank you NSHSS for your commitment to arts education and for believing in the power of theatre to transform lives. I can't wait to put this grant to work at the Texas Thespian festival and I look forward to sharing the results of your investment with our community."

"Being named the Educator Coach of the year for 2020 by the National Society for High School Scholars has reaffirmed my hard work and dedication to students over the past 35 years of my teaching career. Receiving the $5,000 grant in the midst of the COVID–19 Pandemic has definitely been a blessing since it arrived at a time when it was desperately needed. I am thankful and humbled to have received such an outstanding honor from such a prestigious organization."

"The importance of offering AP classes has been well documented-study after study reveals that students who are challenged with college level classes have more persistence, better study habits, and greater financial flexibility if they pass the rigorous exams. An AP course structured with a bedrock in the inquiry arc allows students to experience learning at a collegiate level long before they enroll in an undergraduate institution. However, it is the underlying impact that offering college level classes has on an entire school community, whether enrolled in AP classes or not, that makes advanced placement a necessity for any high school. I have been teaching AP World History for four years to mostly freshman students in the south side of Chicago. Preparing students for a high stakes exam was not the reason I got into teaching. My teaching philosophy is rooted in the importance of inquiry and student choice, which allows students to see themselves in the history of the world. When I first began this journey of teaching AP World it seemed impossible to get the majority of my students to pass the exam for college credit, and at the same time fall in love with history as I had long ago. My passion for learning stems from asking tough questions about the hard truths of world history, and then searching for my own answers with the research skills I learned from my professors or teachers. I also knew that passing an AP exam for many of my students is a game changer in a higher education system where costs have skyrocketed for families. With the grant from NSHSS I will be able to better serve the needs of my students by curating a robust research library and bypass frustrating paywalls of the elite research databases. Thank you NSHSS for providing that rigor for my students!"