Events

Champions For Learning is proud to announce their 2018-2019 Night of Champions honorees.

These honorees are being recognized at the Night of Champions event on Friday, February 1, 2019, at the Naples Grande Beach Resort. These individuals will be honored for their impact on the lives of students through mentoring, leadership, collaboration and community involvement with educators or students. These honored Champions exemplify what it means to make a commitment to our students and their future.

The 2018-2019 Night of Champions honorees are: Ingrid & Fabrizio Aielli, Stacy & Todd Bradley, Corky & Chuck Carlsen, Yolanda Flores, The Florida Prepaid College Foundation, Mary Lynn Hill, Sharon Hood, Charles Kerwood III, Mike Martin, Dawna E. Pipersburg, Steve Pontius, and                                                                                 Carol Windfeldt

“We are honored to be highlighting these community leaders who have immense dedication to impacting students and teachers,” says Susan McManus, President of Champions For Learning. ” The Night of Champions honorees truly embody what it is to be a Champion.”

Proceeds for this event will support Champions For Learning student programs including College & Career Readiness programs and scholarships.

We would like to thank our generous sponsors:

Presenting sponsor: Capital Wealth Advisors

Major sponsors: eBella, Naples Daily News, Naples Illustarted, Suncoast Credit Union and Waterside Shops

Tickets for this event are $300. Table and event sponsorships are also available. For more information

On April 16, Champions For Learning hosted the 28^th Annual Golden Apple Celebration of Teachers Dinner at the Naples Grande Beach Resort. During this event the community honored and thanked the Golden Apple Recipients, Teachers of Distinction, and Collier County Public Schools Teachers of the Year.

Champions For Learning invited each Collier County School to put forward an educator and best practice to be recognized as this year’s Teacher of Distinction, providing the opportunity for every school to be involved. The result was 57 teachers representing 55 of our schools. From this group of talented teachers, the Golden Apple Selection Committee chose five to further highlight their best practices.

During the event, community members were treated to students introducing their teachers and teachers sharing their passion for the profession. Champions For Learning also honored Thomas Riley as the 2018 Heart of the Apple recipient.

All Teachers of Distinction received a $250  award, and the Golden Apple recipients received an additional $500 award thanks to the Mary Ingram Fund of the Columbus Foundation.  Each 2017-18 Golden Apple recipient receives a grant of up to $5,000 from Suncoast Credit Union to build on their best practices.

“At Suncoast Credit Union, we believe that the stronger we make our teachers, the stronger our students will be. For this reason, we create opportunities for educators to share best practices and to grow professionally, “ said Cindy Helton executive director of the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation.  “The Golden Apple Awards enable us to recognized teachers whose dedication and practices stand above the rest. We hope that the grants will inspire them to continue investing in our students and to develop innovative practices.”

The Suncoast Credit Union Foundation is funded through the credit union members’ use of their debit and credit cards. The Suncoast for Schools Rewards Debit Card and VISA Credit Card program automatically generates funds that are dedicated to education and health-related initiatives benefiting children in the local community.

For those who couldn’t attend the event, Champions For Learning invites them to watch the Golden Apple television program, which will be aired on April 22 at 7:00 pm on NBC-2 and rebroadcast multiple times on The Education Channel. To stay connected text APPLE to 52182 for links to videos and photos of the Golden Apple event, tune in to watch reminders and access to fund classroom grants.

Click here to view videos highlighting the best practices of our Teachers of Distinction and Golden Apple recipients.

Presenting Sponsor: Suncoast Credit Union

Champions Level Sponsors: Adams Food, Inc./McDonalds, CenturyLink, Conditioned Air, eBella Magazine, Mary Ingram Fund of the Columbus Foundation, Moorings Park, Naples Daily News, NBC-2, Perna-Rose Foundation for Hope, and Wells Fargo

On April 25, fifty high school seniors walked across the stage as they accepted their certificate of completion of the Take Stock in Children Scholarship and Mentoring program of Champions For Learning.

On February 14, students in six Collier County classrooms received bushels of Golden Delicious apples as their teachers were surprised with Golden Apple awards, which highlight best practices in teaching.  Representatives from Suncoast Credit Union, presenting sponsor of the Golden Apple Teacher Recognition Program, were joined by Champions For Learning board members, sponsors, and volunteers to present the awards to the teachers in their classrooms.

Congratulations to the following 2016-17 Golden Apple recipients.  See attached list for the names of Teachers of Distinction.

• Joanna Campanile & Janell Matos, Poinciana Elementary
• Anne Fredette, Lorenzo Walker Technical College
• Ashley Lynn Heirls, Highlands Elementary
• Maria T. LaRocco, Sabal Palm Elementary
• Amanda McCoy, Manatee Middle
• Stacy M. Smith, Palmetto Ridge High

Click here to see the list of the Golden Apple Recipients and Teachers of Distinction.

“At Suncoast Credit Union, we believe that the stronger we make our teachers, the stronger our students will be. For this reason, we create opportunities for educators to share best practices and to grow professionally, “ said Cindy Helton executive director of the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation.  “The Golden Apple Awards enable us to recognized teachers whose dedication and practices stand above the rest. We hope that the grants will inspire them to continue investing in our students and to develop innovative practices.”

The 2016-17 Golden Apple recipients will each receive a grant (up to $5,000) from Suncoast Credit Union to allow the building of best practices.  All Teachers of Distinction receive a $500 award, and the Golden Apple recipients receive an additional $500 award thanks to the Mary Ingram Fund of the Columbus Foundation.

The Suncoast Credit Union Foundation is funded through the credit union members’ use of their debit and credit cards. The Suncoast for Schools Rewards Debit Card and VISA Credit Card program automatically generates funds that are dedicated to education and health-related initiatives benefiting children in the local community.

The community will honor and thank the Golden Apple Recipients, Teachers of Distinction, and Collier County Public Schools Teachers of the Year at the Golden Apple Celebration of Teachers Dinner on March 31, 2017.  We will also be honoring Myra Janco Daniels as the 2016-2017 Heart of the Apple recipient for her contribution to our community.

The event is presented by Suncoast Credit Union and is generously hosted by the Naples Grande Beach Resort. Additional support is provided by Adams Food, Inc./McDonald’s, Arthrex, CenturyLink, Conditioned Air, Gulfshore Life, the Mary Ingram Fund of the Columbus Foundation, Moorings Park, Naples Daily News, and NBC-2.

The event hashtag will be #goldenapplecollier and #Champions4Collier

For information on attending and/or event sponsorships, visit www.ChampionsForLearning.org/GA.

Families, students, and the entire community are invited to join in the celebration by tuning in to NBC-2 for the Golden Apple television program highlighting the great work of teachers in Collier County classrooms.  The program will be aired on March 31 on NBC-2 at 8:00pm, and rebroadcast multiple times after April 2 on The Education Channel.