Esther Wojcicki Named MY HERO's 2016 Educator of the Year
CONTACT: Wendy Milette FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Director of Media
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PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER ESTHER WOJCICKI NAMED MY HERO'S GLOBAL EDUCATOR OF 2016
SANTA MONICA, CA - 09/15/16 - The MY HERO Project is proud to announce Esther Wojcicki as the winner of the 2016 Global Educator of the Year Award. Wojcicki is a pioneer in education who has spent 30 years building an outstanding high school journalism program at Palo Alto High School. Her program, the winner of two Webbys, has earned numerous awards for student-run publications, including the Hall of Fame Award and the PaceMaker Award from National Scholastic Press, Gold and Silver Crowns from Columbia Scholastic Press Association, and Time Magazine’s Best in Nation Award in 2003.
Wojcicki creates a homelike environment for her students, who frequently choose to work into the evenings and weekends. She credits the success of her programs to allowing the students to be in charge of their own learning. Her book, “Moonshots in Education: Blended Learning in the Classroom,” provides an important platform for a global education movement devoted to radically improving teaching and learning around the world. Wojcicki hopes her book will serve as a platform for a “Moonshot Movement,” named for the adventurous spirit and community effort involved in President John F. Kennedy’s moon launch efforts of the 60s.
Esther serves as Chairman of the Board of Learning Matters and is on the THNK School of Creative Leadership’s Advisory Board. She serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of Creative Commons. Wojcicki, or “Woj” to her students, has written for several publications and writes a recurring blog for the Huffington Post.
The MY HERO Global Educator of the Year Award is given to a teacher working to raise the standards of education on a national and global level. Last year's recipient was Erin Gruwell, creator of the Freedom Writers Foundation, an educational outreach program that encourages students suffering from childhood trauma to triumph over their pasts by writing about their lives.
Wojcicki will accept the award at the MY HERO International Film Festival, November 19, 2016, at the Herb Alpert Educational Village in Santa Monica. For more information, visit The MY HERO Website.
Page created on 9/15/2016 7:39:57 PM
Last edited 11/9/2017 11:48:58 PM
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