Milken Educator Awards
| Abbreviation | MEA |
|---|---|
| Motto | The Future Belongs to the Educated |
| Formation | 1985-87 |
| Type | Nonprofit Organization |
| Legal status | Foundation Award Program |
| Purpose | To celebrate, elevate and activate the teaching profession |
| Headquarters | Santa Monica |
| Location |
|
|
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 |
| Website | www |
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. Established in 1985 and first presented in 1987, the initiative of the Milken Family Foundation has traveled to schools across the United States presenting awards to over 2,600 teachers, averaging around 30-40 teachers per year.Teacher Magazine nicknamed the program the "Oscars of Teaching." 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." Recipients are ambushed at school assemblies or other public events to be publicly celebrated with the surprise announcement of the awards. For example, in January 2016, a Hawaii high school science teacher was "shocked" to receive the award, given at a school-wide assembly.
Since its founding and first award presentation, the Milken Educator Awards has recognized over 2,600 teachers with awards that include an individual, unrestricted cash prize of $25,000. Through the program, the Milken Family Foundation has awarded over 64 million dollars to the award recipients.
There is no nomination process to be considered for the Milken Educator Award. Candidates are confidentially recommended to the Foundation by a blue-ribbon panel appointed by each state’s department of education.
Based on guidelines established by the Foundation, participating states’ departments of education appoint blue-ribbon committees that recommend candidates for selection. Identification and selection procedures are confidential, and the program does not include a formal nomination or application procedure.The criteria for the selection of outstanding elementary and secondary school teachers, principals and other education professionals as Milken Educators include all of the following:
The goals of the Milken Educator Awards are:
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