By now, you all must be aware that I am promoting Literacy Heroes this year! I selected the word Heroes as the theme of my 10th annual Be-a-Famous Writer contest. In preparation for the contest, I have been acknowledging teachers, librarians, and companies, that I think exemplify the traits of a Literacy Hero! I have a new one for my list, and every teacher and librarian should put them on theirs and bookmark this school changing contest!
Let me introduce you to the Follett Challenge if you don't know about it. What they are providing to schools is life changing! The grand prize winner receives $60,000 in products and services for their school! Yes, that certainly qualifies as a Literacy Hero in my book!
What is the Follett Challenge: It was created by Chuck Follett, retired president and CEO of Follett Corporation. Follett Challenge entrants must complete an online application and submit a video describing their program. The contest rewards groundbreaking educational programs by seeking applications illustrating critical thinking, communication, creativity and collaboration. All K-12 schools/districts, public and private, in the U.S., Canada, and Australia are eligible to apply. Be sure to bookmark the Follett Challenge, as the prizes are life changing for a school.
The Challenge was designed to give educators a platform to share their stories of innovative ways they teach 21st century skills. This year, they had more than 130 entries, and their panel of judges had the difficult task of narrowing down the submissions to three Semi-Finalists. And from those three Semi-Finalists, choosing a Grand-Prize winner.
The grand prize winner was Tudor Elementary, in Anchorage, Alaska with an enrollment of 346 students. They won for its “Young Global Citizens” entry, which showcases what it means for their students to be global citizens, how it impacts their learning, their perspectives on the world and the impacts they can have on it. You can read all of the details and learn about the other winner on the press release.
What I love about the Follett Challenge, is that is also provides an opportunity for schools to learn about and from the program winners. Schools can watch the videos that were submitted to get inspired at their own school perhaps with a similar program.
So a tip of my hat to my latest Literacy Hero! Join me by bookmarking their site for your school for next years challenge. And of course, a huge round of applause to Tudor Elementary and all of the other schools who entered.
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