In October 2019 Ken Selzer, former Kansas Insurance Department Commissioner, and his wife Deborah Grimes donated funds to TPSF to establish a recognition program for TPS educators. Mr. Selzer stressed that the program was to recognize educators that have demonstrated an ability to engage students in the learning process in an innovative way. He offered to fund the program for up to five years.
Mr. Selzer and Ms. Grimes previously established and initiated an educator innovative award program in the Blue Valley school district, this program has remained and existed for a decade. The TPS Foundation is honored to have been selected by the Selzer family to establish a TPS Educator award program. We are heartened to be afforded an opportunity to showcase, reward, and positively recognize some of the many Topeka Public Schools educators for their tenacity, hard work, and dedication to making sure students come first!
Our long term goal for this newly initiated program is to find a corporate funder that will partner with TPSF that institutionalizes a monetary educator award for outstanding educators making innovative decisions in a TPS student's life.
The Topeka Public Schools Foundation will honor two (2) teachers as Innovative Educators; at least one recipient annually will be a teacher of a STEAM course. The two (2) Innovative Educators will each receive a $1,000 grant to be used in their classrooms.
For more information about nomination eligibility and requirements, please click here.
For information on how the applicant will be evaluated, please click here.
For application, please click here