Nominations sought for VFW teacher award
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Burns Post 388, Wausau, announces the kick-off of this year’s VFW’s “Smart/Maher VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher Award” contest.
Every year, the VFW recognizes three exceptional teachers for their outstanding commitment to reaching Americanism and patriotism to their students. The three winning teachers receive $1,000 for their professional development, $1,000 for their school plus an all-expenses paid trip to the VFW’s National Convention in July.
Teachers of grades K-5, 6-8 and 9-12 can be nominated by fellow teachers, students, supervisors or other interested individuals. Teachers who promote civic responsibility, flag etiquette and patriotism, and strive to help students develop a better understanding of democratic values and beliefs are prime candidates for the award. Nomination forms are due to the local VFW by Feb. 15, 2017.
Nominated teachers compete at the local VFW Post level with the winners advancing to District. District winners compete in the State level competition with State first-place winners advancing to the National Competition.
The VFW enacted the Teacher of the Year award contest in 1999 as a way to identify and recognize America’s best educators. The VFW annually recognizes the nation’s top teachers who instill a sense of national pride in students by teaching citizenship education topics regularly and promoting America’s history and traditions effectively.
If you are interested in nominating a teacher for this contest, you should contact the Americanism Chairman of the VFW Auxiliary, Deb Spatz, by phone at 715-432-1216 or e-mail at [email protected] for more information.