Washington, DC – A Starry Night Sleepover to teach astronomy. A Classroom of the Future to amplify the power of education technology. An 18-acre green space to engage students in real-world science. Interviews with World War II veterans to teach history firsthand. These are among the examples of inventive approaches to education employed by finalists for Cable's Leaders in Learning Awards, announced today by Cable in the Classroom (CIC), the cable industry's education foundation.
A total of 43 finalists were named, including elected officials, classroom educators, administrators, and community leaders.
Cable's Leaders in Learning Awards is a new initiative created and administered by Cable in the Classroom to recognize and reward those who are transforming education from kindergarten through high school (K-12 education). The 43 finalists announced today were chosen from hundreds of nominations submitted from around the country. Award winners will be selected from among the finalists and honored in Washington, DC, on May 17 during a prestigious awards gala at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian.
Among the finalists being recognized for creative and significant initiatives inside and outside the classroom are:
• A school superintendent who has raised test scores, integrated technology, and transformed one of the nation's largest, most diverse school districts;
• A mayor who has helped more than 250,000 young people learn the joys of reading and staying fit;
• A state senator who has helped 300 students develop leadership skills, civic involvement, and knowledge about government by working collectively to create and pass legislation;
• A teacher whose curriculum includes building a 300-foot working aqueduct and a star-studded show produced by the Boeing Museum of Flight to teach science and history; and
Finalists Named for Cable's Leaders in Learning Awards
• A CEO who has collected the views of 377,000 young people about their use of technology in and out of school.
“Only rarely do education leaders – in the classroom, in administration offices, in the halls of government – get the recognition and credit they deserve for the differences they
make in children's lives and in education in our communities,” said Douglas Levin, Director of Education Policy for CIC. “This award celebrates their contributions, demonstrates the community's appreciation, and shares their good work with others around the nation.”
A dozen award winners will be chosen from the pool of finalists, in four categories:
• General Excellence – for those who have used excellent vision, innovation, action, and transformation skills to produce improvements in K-12 education;
• Pushing the Envelope – for those redefining the education frontier by using cable content or cable technology for the greatest possible impact on K-12 education;
• Policymaker – for a federal, state, or local policymaker who has contributed to the transformation of K-12 education in the broadest sense;
• Media Literacy – awarded in partnership with the National PTA to an individual who has advanced the development and/or the application of media literacy skills.
For more information, and to view the complete list of Leaders in Learning Award finalists, please visit www.leadersinlearningawards.org .