Milken Educator Award

Milken Educator Awards
AbbreviationMEA
Formation1985-87
TypeNonprofit organization
Legal statusFoundation award program
PurposeTo celebrate, elevate and activate the teaching profession
HeadquartersSanta Monica
Location
  • California
Region served
United States
Membership
Over 2,600
Official language
English
Executive Director
Lowell Milken, Milken Family Foundation Chairman and co-founder
Parent organization
Milken Family Foundation
Websitewww.milkeneducatorawards.org

The Milken Educator Awards is an educator recognition program in the United States that provides unrestricted grants of $25,000 cash to teachers deemed successful, in surprise ceremonies. Created in 1985 by education reformer and philanthropist Lowell Milken[1][2] and first presented in 1987, this initiative of the Milken Family Foundation has presented awards to over 2,900 teachers across the United States, averaging around 30-40 teachers per year.[3] Teacher Magazine nicknamed the program the "Oscars of Teaching."[4] The award currently gives $25,000 in unrestricted funds to teachers who are early in their career, or mid-career, to reward them "for what they have achieved—and for the promise of what they will accomplish in the future."[5] Recipients are ambushed at school assemblies or other public events to be publicly celebrated with the surprise announcement of the awards.[6] For example, in January 2016, a Hawaii high school science teacher was "shocked" to receive the award, given at a school-wide assembly.[7]

  1. ^ "An Educator's Impact". gwtoday.gwu.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  2. ^ "Chalkboard Magazine, Indiana University" (PDF).
  3. ^ "City College Teacher Wins National Educator Award". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
  4. ^ "Beloved Teacher Wins National Award". The Olympian. Archived from the original on 2014-05-28. Retrieved 2014-04-19.
  5. ^ "Milkin Educator Awards". Retrieved 2016-07-24.
  6. ^ "About Milken Educator Awards". Milken Educator Awards. Recipients are caught by surprise when their names are announced at emotional all-school assemblies in front of cheering students, proud colleagues, distinguished officials and the media. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  7. ^ "Waipahu High School science teacher receives Milken Educator Award". KHON-TV. January 29, 2016.