The Golden Apple Foundation Honors Kenwood High School Principal Karen Calloway as 2023 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Leadership Recipient
CHICAGO (May 12, 2023) - The Golden Apple Foundation, the leading Illinois-based nonprofit committed to preparing, mentoring, and honoring educators who advance educational opportunities for students, today surprised Karen Calloway, principal of Kenwood High School in Chicago, with the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Leadership, presented in honor of founding Golden Apple board member Stanley C. Golder.
Following a highly competitive process, Calloway was selected as an award recipient from more than 130 nominations of Pre-K-12th grade school leaders.
"School leaders are vital to the academic success of their students, professional growth of their teachers and elevation of all in their school community,” said Alan Mather, President of The Golden Apple Foundation. “We are honored to recognize this leader for their commitment to their students, staff and greater community, and we look forward to them joining us in working to recruit, train and guide the next generation of exceptional teachers."
As statewide awards, The Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Leadership honors exemplary performance in school leadership by a principal or head of school who has had a significant and sustained positive impact on the school, created a culture of inclusivity, and delivered dramatic student growth.
“High-impact leaders have built a culture of collaboration and respect that has led their school to academic excellence while playing a pivotal role in their community,” said Alicia Winckler, CEO of The Golden Apple Foundation. “We are honored to recognize (insert leader’s name) for the impact their vision, innovation and mentorship has had on their collective community of students and families."
About Karen Calloway
Calloway believes that a leader must begin with the end in mind, and her end vision for Kenwood Academy High School is for all of her students to have access to an educational experience that pursue the career or college of their choice and to be prepared both socially and emotionally for what comes after graduation.
She makes a concerted effort to hire staff that matches the makeup of her student body and is thorough in her promotion of diversity and inclusion. From the beginning of the hiring process to developing academic programming, diverse thoughts, interests, racial backgrounds, ethnicities and socio-economic levels are welcomed and celebrated.
About The Golden Apple Award
The Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Leadership recipients receive a cash award of $10,000, with $5,000 for the school leader and $5,000 to the school for a project of the recipient’s choosing. Award recipients become Fellows of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, a community of educators who play an important role in preparing the next generation of teachers in the Golden Apple Scholars and Accelerators programs - which are dedicated to addressing the teacher shortage in Illinois.
The nomination period for the 2024 Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching & Leadership is open. All are invited to nominate exceptional Pre-K-3rd grade teachers and Pre-K-12th grade school leaders in Illinois at www.goldenapple.org/awards.
Golden Apple’s social media channels will feature surprises for each of the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching & Leadership recipients. Follow the news here: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn.
About The Golden Apple Foundation
The Golden Apple Foundation’s mission is to inspire, develop and support teacher and school leader excellence, especially in schools-of-need. Our leading-edge preparation delivers exceptional teachers who make an impact. We help students thrive in the classroom and in life. Since our beginning, we have recognized master educators annually; and, these master educators help prepare the next generation of teachers through both our Golden Apple Scholars (for undergraduates) and Golden Apple Accelerators (for career-changers) programs. Our vision is one in which every classroom has a great teacher and to realize this, we are committed to making a material difference in resolving the teacher shortage. Visit http://www.goldenapple.org for more information.
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