RECOGNIZING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUTSTANDING EDUCATORS

"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."

"On behalf of our new high school Culinary Club, I extend our heartfelt gratitude for the generous grant you have awarded us. This funding will significantly enhance our ability to explore the culinary arts, providing our students with valuable opportunities to develop their skills and creativity. Your support will enable us to acquire essential kitchen equipment, high-quality ingredients, and educational resources that are crucial for our budding chefs. We are deeply appreciative of your commitment to fostering educational enrichment and hands-on learning experiences. Thank you for believing in our vision and helping us bring our culinary dreams to life."

"I am very grateful for this grant. I feel blessed to be able to do what I love, and love what I do! Music education is invaluable now, more than ever. I will continue my efforts to improve, enhance, promote, and grow, our Music Program."

"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."

"This is the first time I've heard about NSHSS and my first time applying for a grant. At first, I was unsure about it, but I decided to go for it and fill out the application form. I even asked our principal for a recommendation letter. I was so happy and grateful at the same time when I got an email from NSHSS saying my entry was chosen. I didn't expect it, so I'm really happy about it. These funds will be a big help to our club and will make our experience even more meaningful. It's great to know that there are organizations like NSHSS that support student groups like ours."

"I would like to thank NSHSS, DePaul College Prep, and all of my students for inspiring me to become the best teacher, coach, and colleague I can be. I feel so fortunate to be part of a community committed to honoring the inherent dignity of all people."

"I didn't know much about NSHSS before one of my students nominated me for this award. There is a lot that NSHSS is doing for educators and students alike, in terms of grants, scholarships, networking, etc ... Thank you, NSHSS, for recognizing my work as an educator through this grant."

"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!"

"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!"