Sponsored by the National Life Group Foundation, the national LifeChanger of the Year program recognizes and rewards the very best K-12 public and private school educators and employees across the United States who are making a difference in the lives of students by exemplifying excellence, positive influence and leadership.
Burkemper was nominated by a colleague, Alex Tompkins. She has only been teaching at Little Blue for two years, but she has already made an incredible impact, according to Tompkins.
“In the five years I’ve been teaching, I’ve never met anyone like Ms. Burkemper,” said Tompkins. “The way she creates relationships with her students changes their lives for the better. She knows their likes, dislikes, fears, motivators and so much more. She has so much fun with them, but also holds them to high expectations. Therefore, she sees great results.”
According to Tompkins, Burkemper is known for being cautious about what she asks for so that her colleagues have extra money to spend. This past year, when several Little Blue teachers switched to a “flexible seating” arrangement in their classrooms, Burkemper went out of her way to write a grant so that her students could have some fun places to sit, without the school having to pay for it out of their budget. The grant was funded in less than 24 hours.
Each school year, the LifeChanger of the Year program receives hundreds of nominations from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. For 2016-2017, there will be a total of 15 individual LifeChanger of the Year awards. In addition, a 16th prize, the “National Spirit Award,” is given to the school and nominee whose community demonstrates the most support for their nomination. Each winner will receive a cash award that is split between the individual winner and their school. The national Grand Prize award is $10,000. Winners are announced via surprise award ceremonies held at their schools. The top five winners will also be honored at a national awards ceremony in Naples, Florida. Winners will be announced in Spring 2017.
Winners will be chosen by a selection committee comprised of former winners and education professionals. Nominees must be school district employees. Award winners are selected based on the following criteria:
- A proven ability to make a beneficial difference in the lives of students
- An ability to positively add to the development of the school’s atmosphere
- Is involved in leadership activities at the school and/or community level
- A demonstrative record of excellent performance at the professional level
- A commitment to producing a nurturing atmosphere
- Adherence to high moral and ethical standards
A resource page with ideas for how to celebrate nominees can be found at http://lifechangeroftheyearnominees.com/showspirit/.
To view Ms. Burkemper’s LifeChanger of the Year nominee profile, or to nominate someone from your school community, visit https://lifechangeroftheyear.com/madeline-burkemper/
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