The Great American Teach-Off to recognize two extraordinary U.S. educators with $10,000 classroom grants to support their amazing efforts in the classroom
GOOD and University of Phoenix Honor America’s Most Innovative Teachers
LOS ANGELES, January 22, 2013 — GOOD and University of Phoenix today announced the launch of the Great American Teach-Off, a contest that will award two extraordinary teachers from grades K-12 with $10,000 classroom grants. Starting today, parents, students and community members can nominate innovative and inspiring teachers by visiting www.good.is/GATO. The nomination period will end on Feb. 15,
2013, and 20 finalists will be chosen to compete for the $10,000 classroom grants. There will be 10 finalists from grades K-6 and 10 finalists from grades 7-12, and a grant recipient will be chosen from each category.
Past winners impacted their communities by engaging students in a hands-on sustainability project and facilitating private instruction for displaced students. The 2012 grant recipient was eighth grade teacher Daryl Bilandzija of Odyssey Charter School
in Altadena, Calif. He used the $10,000 grant to connect the inside of his classroom to an outdoor edible and sustainable garden and gave his students a hands-on learning environment.
2011 grant recipient Terry Dougherty, a third grade teacher at Roland Rogers Elementary School in Galloway Township, N.J., drew on her eacher, great, american, teach-off, teach, off, class, classroom, grants, efforts, good, phoenix, honor, innovative, teachers, school, children, childown experience being part of a military family. She recognized the hardships military children endure as they transfer state to state and experience curricula changes. Dougherty used her grant to develop “Military Child Tutoring – They Are Heroes Too!,” a free tutoring program for children of military families.
“Teachers play a critical role in shaping the futures of our nation’s children,” said Dr. Meredith Curley, Dean of the College of Education at University of Phoenix. “The
Great American Teach-Off is an opportunity to show our appreciation for teachers and provides a platform to share innovative classroom ideas. Curriculum in K-12 classrooms
continues to evolve to be more hands-on and tie learning to real life experiences. This program celebrates teachers who engage students in creative new ways.”
By recognizing teachers who are committed to impacting student learning outcomes in their classrooms, GOOD and University of Phoenix hope to shed light on the incredible work this nation’s teachers are accomplishing in their classrooms. The $10,000 grants will directly support two K-12 classrooms, but will also impact other classrooms across the nation, serving as examples for educators to adopt for use with their own students.
“The past rounds of the Great American Teach-Off have been incredible,” said Ben Goldhirsh, GOOD Co-Founder. “The positive reaction the program has received demonstrates how important it is to celebrate teachers who go above and beyond. We all know America needs creative and pragmatic solutions to improve education.
Tapping into a passionate community of educators to find those solutions has proven to be a great way to go about it. We are so excited to see what’s next, and hope we have an even bigger pool of deserving candidates in this next round of the Great American Teach-Off!”
For more information and to nominate a teacher for a grant, visit the Great American Teach-Off website at www.good.is/GATO. The nomination period begins Jan. 22, 2013, and will end on Feb. 15, 2013, after which 20 finalists will be chosen to be in the running for the grand prize.
About University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix is constantly innovating to help students balance education and life in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, challenging courses and interactive learning can help students pursue personal and career aspirations without putting their lives on hold. As the flagship university of Apollo Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: APOL), University of Phoenix serves a diverse student population, offering associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs from campuses and learning centers across the U.S. as well as online throughout the world. For more information, visit http://www.phoenix.edu.
About GOOD
GOOD Worldwide LLC. (www.good.is), launched in September 2006, is an integrated media, thought leadership and community action platform for people who want to live well and do good, and a community of, by, and for the people, businesses, and NGOs moving the world forward. GOOD’s mission is to convene, connect, and empower the global community of people “who give a damn.”
