Following are application deadlines for awards, honors, and contests available to teachers. Asterisks (*) denote new entries.
June 1 EARLY CHILDHOOD
Scholastic announces its Early Childhood Professional Awards for professionals using creativity and innovation to help young children develop and learn. Parents nominate teachers in six categories: infant teacher, toddler teacher, preschool teacher, kindergarten teacher, family child-care provider, and director. A panel of early development experts and respected advisers from the field selects the finalists. The grand-prize winners are honored at the National Association for the Education of Young Children conference. Prizes include round-trip tickets to attend, $2,000 worth of Scholastic products, and a feature story in Early Childhood Today. Contact: Scholastic Inc., Early Childhood Today magazine, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012; (212) 343-4559; e- mail scholawards@scholastic.com; www.scholastic.com/parentandchild.
June 1 FIRE PROTECTION
The National Fire Protection Association and the family of Rhea Reiss, a longtime advocate for fire safety education, seek nominations for the fifth annual NFPA Teacher of the Year Award. Full- or part-time classroom teachers or day-care providers in public, private, or parochial school systems that have used the NFPA’s Risk Watch and/or Learn Not to Burn educational materials are eligible. One grand-prize winner and the individual who nominates him or her receive educational materials and an expenses-paid trip to the NFPA’s fall conference in Dallas. For more information, contact: Amy Shadrick, NFPA, 1 Batterymarch Park, P.O. Box 9101, Quincy, MA 02269; (617) 984-7285; e-mail ashadrick@nfpa.org; www.nfpa.org.
June 1 SOCIAL STUDIES
The National Council for the Social Studies announces two research-based awards. The Exemplary Research in Social Studies Award acknowledges and encourages scholarly inquiry into significant issues and possibilities for social studies education. Eligible research must have been published between June 2000 and May 2001 and satisfy a number of other criteria. The Jean Dresden Grambs Distinguished Career Research in Social Studies Award recognizes professionals who have made extensive contributions to knowledge in significant areas of social studies education through meritorious research. The award for each includes a commemorative gift, annual conference presentation session, and publicity. For moreinformation, contact: NCSS, 3501 Newark St. N.W., Washington, DC 20016-3167; (800) 296-7840, ext. 114; e-mail apost@ncss.org; www.ncss.org/awards/home.html.
June 30 OUTSTANDING TEACHERS
USA Today seeks nominations for the All-USA Teacher Team. The 20 teachers chosen for the First Team are featured in the newspaper and receive trophies; their schools get $2,500. Second- and Third-Team teachers also are mentioned. All nominees must be certified K-12 teachers in the 2000-01 school year, have four years of full-time teaching experience, and meet other criteria. Self- nominations are not accepted. Contact: Carol Skalski, USA Today, 1000 Wilson Blvd., 10th Floor, Arlington, VA 22229; (800) 872-2216; www.usatoday.com/li fe/academic/2001/tintro.htm.
*July 1 JOURNALISM
The Dow Jones Newspaper Fund seeks applicants for its National High School Journalism Teacher Awards Program. The program selects the National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year, who acts as a spokesperson for scholastic journalism; four Distinguished Advisers; and several Special Recognition winners. Nominees must have at least three years of experience teaching or advising high school journalists; they also must have taught or advised during the 2000-01 academic year and plan to continue teaching or advising in 2001-02. The Teacher of the Year receives a laptop computer, and a senior student at the winner’s school is eligible for a $1,000 college scholarship. For more information, contact: Dow Jones Newspaper Fund, P.O. Box 300, Princeton, NJ 08543-0300; (609) 452-2820; www.dowjones.com/newsfund.
*July 31 ECONOMICS
The NASDAQ Educational Foundation and the National Council on Economic Education announce the National Teaching Awards for high school teachers who incorporate economic education into any subject area. Regional and national awards are presented to the most creative, original, and effectual efforts to apply economic content and reasoning skills to financial markets, personal finance, entrepreneurship, the market economy, the capital formation process, or the investment process. Any 9th through 12th grade teacher in the United States may enter. Five regional winners receive $10,000 and the opportunity to compete for both an additional $15,000 and the title of Grand National Winner; 20 regional semifinalists are awarded $1,000 each. Entry forms are available online. For more information, contact: National Council on Economic Education, 1140 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036; (800) 338-1192; e-mail econed@ncee.net; www.ncee.net/nasdaq.
*July 31 TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Chadwick’s of Boston, an off-price fashion catalog, seeks nominations for its National Teacher of the Year Award. To nominate a K-12 teacher, print or type no more than 250 words outlining how the candidate contributes to the community, school, or students. Four regional winners each receive $250 and a $250 Chadwick’s of Boston certificate. A national winner receives an additional $1,000 and is featured in a Chadwick’s of Boston catalog. For more information, contact: Chadwick’s of Boston, Teacher of the Year Award, 946 Great Plain Ave., P.O. Box 151, Needham, MA 02492; e-mail cobteacher@aol.com.
*August 1 BIOLOGY
Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, a nonprofit curriculum developer, seeks applications for its two 2001 Teacher of the Year Awards. One teacher with more than five years’ experience and one teacher with less than six years’ experience each receive $1,000, $500 in travel expenses to the National Association of Biology Teachers convention in Montreal, and $1,000 to upgrade their schools’ biology labs. Applicants must use one of BSCS’s three full-year high school programs and teach in a manner that embodies the BSCS approach to inquiry, conceptual learning, and the nature and methods of science. For more information, contact: Linda Ward, 5415 Mark Dabling Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80918; (719) 531-5167, ext. 135; e-mail lward@bscs.org; www.bscs.org.
*August 1 TEACHER EDUCATION
The Association of Teacher Educators seeks applicants for its Distinguished Dissertation in Teacher Education Award, which honors the author of an outstanding doctoral dissertation related to teacher education. The winner receives a monetary award supported by a grant from the ATE Leadership Foundation for Teacher Education, a plaque, and national recognition. Candidates must have completed their doctoral dissertation within the past two years at an accredited college or university. For more information, contact: Margaret Benson, East Stroudsburg University, 200 Prospect St., East Stroudsburg, PA 18301; (570) 422-3367; e- mail mbenson@po-box.esu.edu; www.siu.edu/departments/coe/ate.
*August 1 TEACHER RESEARCH
The Association of Teacher Educators has established the Distinguished Research in Teacher Education Awards to recognize and encourage outstanding studies of teacher education and/or student learning. Individuals involved in teacher education may submit papers published or accepted for publication within the past two years or papers of comparable quality. Entries are judged on many factors, including investigative rationale and adequacy of research. Two winners receive a plaque and recognition at the ATE’s national conference. Contact: Sally Botzler, Department of Education, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA 95521; (707) 826-5869; fax (707) 826- 5868; e-mail sjb3@humboldt.edu.
—Marisha Goldhamer
