Educators Embark on a Global Education Adventure
Automation of jobs. Globalization. Demographic shifts. New skill demands. These forces are necessitating that students learn differently in order to thrive in the interconnected world. But, how does that happen?
In June, 36 award-winning educators will travel to Brazil on a continuation of their learning journey as the NEA Foundation’s Pearson Foundation Global Learning Fellows. The fellowship is a professional development opportunity designed to help educators acquire the necessary
New Online Games Let Students Tryout STEM Careers
According to a recent national study, across the fields of Science, Technology, and Engineering, and Math, job postings outnumbered unemployed people by almost two to one, while, overall, unemployed people outnumbered job postings by well more than
Huffington Post Blog: Helping STEM Take Root
"Helping STEM Take Root: Engaging the Minds of Students"
By Harriet Sanford
President & CEO, The NEA Foundation
“To see a hopeful
future for science education, look no further than the Raccoon Creek watershed
in rural Ohio. There, Vinton
2012 China Experience: Global Engagement
On our final day of the trip, after visiting a middle school in the suburbs of Shanghai, the Global Learning Fellows sat down together for a group discussion about their overall Global Learning Fellowship experience. The conversation focused on
2012 China Experience: Global Competitiveness
On Monday, the Global Learning Fellows met with leaders of Fastco Shanghai Trading Company, the Fastenal Asia Sourcing and Trading Company. Fastenal is a global manufacturing leader that sells industrial and construction supplies around the
2012 China Experience: Global Perspective
Visiting the Beijing Jinsong Vocational School and Dinner Meeting with Intel’s Julia Zhu
On Thursday Global Learning Fellows got an up-close look at some
aspects of Chinese education. We started the afternoon with a tour of Beijing
Jinsong
2012 China Experience: We arrived!
Ni Hao! Greetings from the 2012 class of NEA Foundation-Pearson Foundation Global Learning Fellows in Beijing.
In 2010, a group of education leaders came together with a common vision: to create greater global exposure for public school educators.
2011 China Experience: Thank You, Good Bye
By Sarah Davis, Pearson Foundation
On the bus ride to the hotel after our last dinner together in Hong Kong, we all had a chance to say goodbye.
Then, Kathy Welling of EF Tours had us each all clasp our own two hands in the way that felt most natural.
2011: China Experience: A Hong Kong Elementary School Education
By Sarah Davis, Pearson Foundation
Today we visited the Hong Kong Institute of Education Jockey Club Primary School. The school principal, Mary Chou, gave us some background on the school prior to a student ambassador–led tour. The school is
More than 800 national leaders in education, philanthropy, and business, gathered at the National Building Museum in the nation’s capital on February 8, 2013 to celebrate the best in public education. Through dance, music, and readings, student performers from Lee County, FL— an NEA Foundation funded site— brought to life the essays, poems, and short stories written by their peers and inspired by their teachers.
In addition to the 38 educators honored with the California Casualty Awards for Teaching Excellence, the following top honors were presented.
Kevin Eubanks, former music director of “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” son of a music teacher, and proponent of music in the classroom, hosted the evening's event. Eubanks shared the stage with Lee County students to perform the evening’s finale.
View our photo gallery of all the evening's events and purchase your favorite snapshot.
Pennsylvania Educator Leslie Nicholas receives the NEA Member Benefits Award for Teaching Excellence
Leslie Nicholas, a language arts teacher at Wyoming Valley West Middle School in Kingston, PA and member of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, received the evening's top honor: The NEA Member Benefits Award for Teaching Excellence and $25,000. Nicholas’ students have already benefited from his award. They received digital arts training from the Pearson Foundation to produce a video profiling their teacher, which premiered at the Gala.
(L to R: Gary Phoebus, President & CEO of NEA Member Benefits; Leslie Nicholas, NEA Member Benefits Award for Teaching Excellence recipient; Dennis Van Roekel, President of the National Education Association; Harriet Sanford, President & CEO of The NEA Foundation; Mike Crossey, President of the Pennsylvania State Education Association; Mark Chichester, Board Chair of The NEA Foundation Board of Directors)
Leslie Nicholas, widely known as “Mr. Nick,” wants students to know that understanding poetry is a lifelong skill. So, he picks two great poets of the 20 century—John Lennon and Paul McCartney—about whom students have learned in their history books. “Lyrics,” he says, “are poetry set to music.”
"Blackbird singing in the dead of night…Take these broken wings and learn to fly…"
Nicholas asks what the poem is about. It was written in 1968; what was going on then? There were protests—against the Vietnam War and for civil rights and women’s rights, he notes. What does the word “broken” imply? “Beaten,” a student answers. Nicholas continues to probe and asks if the students know any terminology from that era. Groovy or chick, perhaps? In the United Kingdom, he says, “bird” was slang for a young woman. But why a blackbird? Who could that be? And then it slowly dawns on the class that the song is about Rosa Parks. Who knew?
Nicholas was the Pennsylvania Journalism Teacher of the Year in 2002 and the Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year in 2004. In 2003, he was a Teacher Ambassador for the Radio and Televisions News Directors Foundation. In 2004, he participated in a national, roundtable policy discussion on "No Child Left Behind." He has been an executive board member for the Pennsylvania School Press Association and is a lifelong member of PSEA and NEA.
First Book receives the Security Benefit Corporation Award for Outstanding Service to Public Education
The NEA Foundation presented the 2013 award to First Book, accepted by Kyle Zimmer, President of First Book. A recognized leader in social enterprise, First Book has pioneered groundbreaking channels to provide new books and educational resources at deeply reduced prices—and for free—to schools and programs serving children in need. Ninety-seven percent of First Book's revenue goes directly to providing new books to kids in need. To date, First Book has distributed 100 million books to children in thousands of schools throughout the US and Canada.
In partnership with Lee County Public Schools and the NEA Foundation, First Book will donate 20,000 new books in honor of the six student authors whose work was selected to be presented at the NEA Foundation’s annual Gala.
(L to R: Michael P. Kiley, CEO of Security Benefit Corporation; Kyle Zimmer, President of First Book; Harriet Sanford, President & CEO of The NEA Foundation; Mark Chichester, Board Chair of The NEA Foundation Board of Directors)
This award recognizes individuals and organizations for their lifelong commitment to advancing public education and is typically presented to those who work outside the field. Awardees have included former President Bill Clinton, Title IX advocate Billie Jean King, and Sesame Workshop.
Daniel Leeds of Alliance for Excellent Education receives the NEA Foundation Award for Philanthropy in Public Education
The NEA Foundation presented the 2013 award to Daniel Leeds, Cofounder and Board Chair of the Alliance for Excellent Education and founder of the Education Funder Strategy Group for his extraordinary commitment to informing and transforming public education policy at the national level.
Daniel Leeds has demonstrated leadership in the development and implementation of a federal public education policy agenda that supports effective high school reforms. Since he helped found the Alliance for Excellent Education in 2001, he has been at the forefront of their work to make quality public education for all students a national priority. In addition to the Alliance and the Education Funders Strategy Group, Leeds and his extended family, the Leeds and Jobin-Leeds, have launched, funded, and advocated on behalf of the Schott Foundation for Public Education and the Institute for Student Achievement and other organizations with similar goals.
Leeds also serves as President of Fulcrum Investments LLC, a private investment firm. Until the sale of CMP Media in 1999, he was President of International Publishing and a member of the Office of the President. CMP, a leading media company, published titles such as Information Week, Computer Reseller News and Electronic Engineering Times. The company was cited as “One of the Best Companies to Work for” by Fortune and Working Women magazines.
(L to R: Harriet Sanford, President & CEO of The NEA Foundation; Daniel Leeds, Cofounder and Board Chair of the Alliance for Excellent Education; Dennis Van Roekel, President of the National Education Association)
The NEA Foundation presents this award to individuals, foundations, and corporations of stature in recognition of their significant and demonstrated financial commitment to improving public education or supporting public schools, students, and educators.
Save the date for next year’s NEA Foundation Salute to Excellence in Education on February 7, 2014.
The National Building Museum
401 F St NW
Washington, DC 20001