SMARTer Kids Foundation sponsors the 2003 U.S. State Teachers of the Year

More than US$300,000 worth of innovative classroom technology to be awarded in recognition of teaching excellence

Calgary, AB --- September 17, 2002 --- The SMARTer Kids Foundation of Canada announces its sponsorship of the U.S. State Teachers of the Year for the third consecutive year. Sixty-two recognized teachers will receive the latest in educational technology from the supporting partners of the Foundation, all of which are introducing new products to this program. The award packages, valued at approximately US$5,000 each, include a SMART Board interactive whiteboard, floor stand and SMART Ideas® concept-mapping software from SMART Technologies Inc., an NEC® VT460 projector from NEC Solutions America, Visual Systems Division, and an AlphaSmart® Dana keyboard from AlphaSmart, Inc. Together these companies will donate more than US$300,000 worth of educational technology to the 2003 State Teachers of the Year. A total of approximately US$972,000 has been awarded to date.

This national sponsorship is an initiative of the SMARTer Kids Foundation’s Teaching Excellence Award program. Working with existing teacher-recognition programs, the Teaching Excellence Award program acknowledges teachers who have had a positive impact on their students, schools and communities.

“Teachers have the opportunity to launch our nation’s youth into an even more exciting future,” says Chauncey Veatch, 2002 National Teacher of the Year. “Programs such as the Teaching Excellence Awards help raise public awareness of the importance of providing quality education for our children and the difference that teachers can make.”

“The SMARTer Kids Foundation believes in recognizing teachers who have had a significant impact on their students, schools and communities,” says Nancy Knowlton, executive director of the SMARTer Kids Foundation. “Through the Teaching Excellence Award program, we acknowledge teachers’ dedication to excellence by providing them with classroom tools to create interactive learning environments for their students.”

Supporting Partners
The Teaching Excellence Award program is made possible through the generosity of the Foundation’s supporting partners. SMART Technologies Inc. is committed to the program through 2005, donating US$167,000 in technology products to recognized teachers this year alone. NEC Solutions America, Visual Systems Division, and AlphaSmart, Inc. have also extended their support for a third consecutive year and will provide US$112,000 and US$25,000 respectively in product donations to the 2003 U.S. State Teachers of the Year.

Honoring the Teachers
Teaching Excellence Awards will be presented during each state’s annual teacher-recognition ceremony. In April 2003, the teachers will be joined by Foundation representatives at the National Teacher of the Year Awards in Washington, DC. Events will include a Presidential ceremony at the White House, a recognition gala hosted by the Council of Chief State School Officers and Scholastic Inc., and a technology training session hosted by the Foundation. The training session offers the teachers an opportunity to gain hands-on experience with the technologies they receive as part of their award package.

Award winners will also be featured on the SMARTer Kids Foundation Web site at www.smarterkids.org/excellence.

Please note that SMART is in all capital letters.