One Winning School Will Receive a $15,000 Cash Award
April 25, 2018 Denver – The Succeeds Prize, the state’s most prestigious awards and recognition event honoring transformational public schools and educators, has announced three finalist schools for its 2018 Excellence in STEM Education Award, sponsored by the Ball Corporation. The winning school will be announced at a live reveal celebration on Sept. 18, 2018 at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and will receive a $15,000 cash award to fund ongoing success.
The Succeeds Prize is sponsored by the business community in partnership with 9NEWS/KUSA, Colorado Succeeds, and mindSpark Learning – a nonprofit dedicated to impacting and evolving education through educators. In addition to Colorado CEOs announcing the winners at the live reveal, The Succeeds Prize also serves as a year-long campaign to identify and scale successful innovations and best practices so every student in Colorado can benefit.
Finalists and honorable mentions for the 2018 Succeeds Prize for Excellence in STEM Education are listed alphabetically below:
Finalists:
- Littleton High School in Littleton
- Northridge Elementary in Longmont
- STEM Launch K-8 in Thornton
Honorable Mentions:
- Green Mountain High School in Lakewood (tie)
- Gypsum Creek Middle School in Gypsum (tie)
- Shepardson STEM Elementary in Fort Collins
“Education is not a 12 or 14-year experience, it’s a lifelong journey,” said John Hayes, CEO of the Ball Corporation. “STEM-related skills play a very big part in what we do each day at Ball and we believe that a robust STEM education is critical to the success of Colorado’s communities and workforce. We are proud to invest in our community through The Succeeds Prize and congratulate the Excellence in STEM Education Award finalists. We are grateful for your efforts and applaud your success.”
By 2020, 55 percent of the top jobs in Colorado will require skills in STEM. Yet, currently, Colorado is filling STEM jobs by importing qualified talent from outside the state. STEM career pathways in Colorado also tend to have a low percentage of workers who are women and people of color, even as the state grows more diverse. The Succeeds Prize recognizes that educators across the state are working to provide students with meaningful STEM learning opportunities that will prepare them to enter and succeed in STEM careers.
The STEM Award finalists and winner are selected by the STEM Award Selection Committee, which is made up of expert educators and business and civic leaders. The committee bases their decision on quantitative data as well as interviews with school leaders, teachers, parents, and community members collected during site visits to each of the finalist schools.
The Succeeds Prize and STEM Award Selection Committee believe that being a “STEM” school can take many forms. That said, what makes a school a model for STEM education entails something different from a traditional education setting. Click here to learn more about the criteria used to select schools and see the STEM Award Selection Committee members.
In addition to the $15,000 cash prize for Excellence in STEM Education, The Succeeds Prize is also offering $15,000 to the winners of the following:
- Transformational Impact in an Elementary School Award, sponsored by TTEC
- Transformational Impact in a Middle School Award, sponsored by DaVita
- Transformational Impact in a High School Award, sponsored by Western Union Foundation
- Excellence in Education Innovation Award, sponsored by Janus Henderson Investors
- Excellence in Technology Enabled Learning Award, sponsored by Arrow Electronics
Separate committees will select the winners for these awards, which will also be revealed at The Succeeds Prize event on Sept. 18.
For information about the awards, sponsorship, or tickets to the event, visit TheSucceedsPrize.org or contact info@thesucceedsprize.org.
About The Succeeds Prize
The Succeeds Prize is the most prestigious awards and recognition event for Colorado’s public schools and educators. It honors the transformational impact Colorado’s public schools and educators are leading across the state. It also serves as a year-long campaign to implement and scale successful innovations and best practices, so every student in Colorado can benefit.
The Succeeds Prize is sponsored by the business community in partnership with Colorado Succeeds, 9NEWS/KUSA, and mindSpark Learning. Learn more at TheSucceedsPrize.org.
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