National Center for Families Learning and Toyota award
$25,000 to two educators who best
engage families in their classrooms
LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 26,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ivonne
Ortiz of Mesa, Arizona,
knows the power of positive thinking when it comes to achieving
goals. She is a cheerleader for the students in her family literacy
program, helping them to build confidence in themselves and to
realize their educational and career goals. Her ability to work
with students to turn their aspirations and dreams into action
helped earn her the title of 2022 Toyota Family Teacher of the
Year, a national designation that recognizes outstanding educators
who are exceptional in engaging families in learning.
Ivonne
Ortiz, a Mesa Public
Schools family literacy instructor, is the 2022 Toyota Family
Teacher of the Year.
For 26 years, the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL)
and Toyota have partnered to recognize educators across the nation
who use a strong multi-generational approach to learning and focus
on building effective family–school partnerships that support
student achievement and school improvement. The award announcement
was made public today during the Families Learning Conference by
Michael Medalla, manager of Toyota
USA Foundation + Workforce
Readiness. Ortiz, and runner-up Dae
Selcer of Columbia Heights,
Minnesota, were surprised with news of their awards earlier
this month. Watch the video of Ortiz's surprise here.
Ortiz, a family literacy instructor with Mesa Public Schools, strives to create a
welcoming environment for her students where they feel safe to
express their opinions and where their voices will be heard. She
supplies parenting adults with many resources and tools to assist
them in supporting their children's academic success and achieving
their own goals. She sees potential in all families and can
envision the generational impact created by the work her students
do today. As she puts it, "[With] the seeds I am planting, I know
the harvest will be great."
Prior to becoming an educator, Ortiz was an adult student in the
district's family literacy program. Drawing on her experience as a
student helps Ortiz understand what families might be experiencing
and the challenges or barriers they face in succeeding. Her story
inspires students to believe that they, too, can achieve their
goals.
"Toyota has partnered with NCFL to recognize outstanding
educators for nearly three decades because we know family
engagement has the power to transform families and communities for
generations to come," says Medalla. "Ivonne and Dae represent the
best of the best in engaging multiple generations in learning
together, and we are honored to recognize them with these
awards."
Selcer is a multilingual learner teacher and program coordinator
at Prodeo Elementary Academy, Columbia
Heights. Described by her colleagues as a "stalwart advocate
for multilingual learners and their families," Selcer is committed
to creating an accessible and inclusive classroom that is
co-designed in partnership with families. She has also cultivated
impactful relationships with community partners that directly
support her school and families.
"Ivonne and Dae are educators committed to working alongside
parents and children to create authentic learning pathways for
their students," says Dr. Felicia C.
Smith, NCFL's president and CEO. "By working with whole
families and connecting their efforts to larger systems supporting
adult learners and children, they are changing the course for how
their communities advance equity outcomes and build toward a
brighter future where families can thrive and contribute in
meaningful ways."
Ortiz's school will receive $20,000 to implement a family leadership program
aimed at fostering authentic partnership among families and schools
in her district. As runner-up, Selcer's school will receive a
$5,000 grant award to support her
family engagement efforts. Since 1997, Toyota Family Teacher of the
Year winners, runners-up, and their respective organizations have
received $650,000 and funded 52
innovative teacher-led projects.
The other finalists for this award were previously
announced and include Renee
Dawson (Atlanta, Georgia),
Barbara Toure (Washington, DC) and Analía Wells (Greensboro, North Carolina).
ABOUT THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR
FAMILIES LEARNING
NCFL is a national nonprofit that supports family success and
well-being through education. We believe education is a shared
responsibility and collaboration among families, schools, and
community members that leads to powerful learning experiences.
Partnering with educators, literacy advocates, and communities,
NCFL has worked for over 30 years to eradicate poverty through
education solutions for families. NCFL's vision is to establish
coordinated and aligned family learning systems in 60 communities
by 2030, built with and for families, to increase education and
economic outcomes and create more equitable communities. When
parenting adults and children are engaged in learning together, the
whole family benefits, contributing to a thriving, equitable
community. For more information on NCFL, visit
familieslearning.org. To express your interest in partnering with
us on our 60x30 Vision, email info@familieslearning.org.
ABOUT TOYOTA
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in
North America for more than 60
years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation
mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than
1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the
design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and
trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota's 14th plant
in North Carolina will begin to
manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With
more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker,
more than a quarter of the company's 2021 North American sales were
electrified.
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SOURCE National Center for Families Learning