Call for Nominations, Freida J. Riley Teacher Award

INFORMATIONAL LETTER: 71
POLICY CODE: AEB

TO: Superintendents, Assistant Superintendents, Principals, CTE Directors, State Board of Education, Professional Organizations, Department of Education Staff
FROM: Susan A. Gendron, Commissioner
DATE: January 23, 2008
SUBJECT: Call for Nominations, Freida J. Riley Teacher Award

I am pleased to announce that the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation, in cooperation with the YWCA of Harrison County, West Virginia, is sponsoring the nationwide 2008 Freida J. Riley Teacher Award for $10,000. Now in its 9th year, the award honors an American teacher who works with a physical disability, teaches in an especially challenging educational environment or has performed a heroic act by making an exceptional, personal or physical sacrifice on behalf of students.

Nomination forms, Official Rules and Guidelines are available online at:

http://www.columbusfdn.org/freidajriley/default.asp . All nomination materials must be received in the Foundation office at 110 Genesee Street, Suite 390, Auburn, New York 13021. The deadline for receipt of nominations is Monday, February 4, 2008.

Freida J. Riley served as a math, chemistry and physics teacher at Big Creek High School in Coalwood, West Virginia, during the early space race era of the 1950s and early 60s. During most of her career, Miss Riley taught while suffering from Hodgkin’s disease, until succumbing to the disease at the age of 31. The impact she had on her students is captured in the inspirational film October Sky, based on the novel Rocket Boys written by her former student, novelist Homer Hickam. Miss Riley inspired her students to dream beyond and overcome the limited opportunities of their era and environment and to succeed.

I encourage you to nominate a worthy candidate or please assign the request to an associate. If you have questions, you may contact Judith M. Shellenberger, Executive Director, at (315) 258-0090 or email; judithmscolumbus@cs.com .