Congrats to our 2022 MELA education award winners!
Congratulations to ten outstanding Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) leaders and educators who were awarded a combined $90,000 as part of the Minneapolis Educator Leadership Awards (MELA).
After taking a pause in 2021, MELA is back and awarding its seventh year of grants. MELA is proud to have a process that is entirely educator-focused and led, from nominations to proposals. Educators can be nominated by colleagues, community members, and even students. Selected nominees are given the opportunity to submit a proposal and winning proposals are selected by a committee of teachers and staff who are actively working in MPS and have won the award in the past.
The 2022 Minneapolis Educator Leadership Award winners and projects include:
- Adewale Adenodi from Patrick Henry High School: Student and Community Vision of Social Studies
- Anita Chavez from Bryn Mawr Elementary: Self-Defense, Self-Esteem & Self-Empowerment
- Jeffrey Darling from Edison High School: Books in Hands
- Stephanie Doree from Lucy Craft Laney Elementary: A Playground Worthy of our Students
- Kaytie Kamphoff from Patrick Henry High School: Henry Drama Club
- Andrew (AJ) Molle from Transition Plus: Paint to Empower
- Robert Rand from Webster Elementary: Nordic Skiing Power
- Arielle Rocca from Patrick Henry High School: Ed Café and Employer Convening
- Toby Schroder from Edison High School: Construction of Outdoor Classroom Space and ADA Accessible Garden Beds
- Melodee Strong from Franklin Middle School: Rise Up Storytelling
The Minneapolis Educator Leadership Awards are administered by Achieve Twin Cities in partnership with The Graves Foundation. Nominations for the 2023 program will go live in the fall.
For more information, please visit http://www.mplsela.org or contact mpsgrants@achievetwincities.org.