Do You Know a Courageous Teacher?

Courage is an important quality not often recognized in teachers. The Christa McAuliffe Prize for Courage and Excellence in Education honors this special form of courage.

This prize is much different than other "Teacher of the Year" awards. "Rewarding courage automatically selects out a slightly different kind of teacher," said Dr. Gregg Wright, creator of the prize. The teachers who are recognized are all excellent educators, but they go beyond excellence by showing courage. Courage can be displayed in many different ways, but according to Wright, the common denominator among all the prizewinners is the lasting and positive effect they have had on their students and on their peers.

The prize was started as a memorial for Christa McAuilffe, the teacher/astronaut who lost her life in the Challenger space shuttle accident in January, 1986. Ms. McAuliffe provided a very visible demonstration of both courage and excellence in education--qualities that are found in many Nebraska teachers to the benefit of all our children. This fund provides a way to recognize these teachers, and at the same time honor the memory of Ms. McAuliffe's courage.

The prize is awarded annually to a Nebraska teacher. The winning teacher receives a $1000 stipend and a plaque that is presented at a banquet held in his or her honor. This year the winning school will receive a $500 award to help support important school activities.

Essay Contest

The Nebraska Christa McAuliffe Prize Committee would like to encourage any Nebraska college students to write about courage in education. What is courage in education, and why is it important? The author of the winning essay will receive a $100 prize and the runner-up will receive a $50 prize.

Essays may focus on a particular courageous teacher or on the reasons courage is important in today's educators. Authors might explore a specific aspect of courage in teaching, the effects such courage has on others, the historical or societal trends in affecting the need for courage or the barriers to courage in education.

The essay should be between 500 and 800 words. Essays will be judged on journalistic merits and on the ability to provoke thought in the reader about the concept of courage in education. The deadline for the 2009 contest is November 25, 2009.

Send completed essays to courageessay@gmail.com.