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Scholarship to recognize unsung educators
Sometimes it's the people who work behind the scenes who most deserve to be recognized.
That's the idea behind the Unsung Educators scholarship created by School Board member John Stevens (Potomac).
The $5,000 scholarship will go to the children of Loudoun County Public Schools personnel like bus drivers, cafeteria workers, warehouse employees and custodians whose children are graduating from Loudoun's public high schools.
As of now, one $5,000 award will be given each year, starting next May, Stevens said.
"It has been a joy for me to get to know so many custodians, bus drivers and kitchen staff personally because I spend a lot of time in the schools," he said. "But most parents don't have an opportunity to get to know them, and so often their work is overlooked as a result."
The full title of the scholarship is the Elaine Avington Griffin Unsung Educators Scholarship, named for Stevens' grandmother.
"She was a champion of people who it is sometimes easy to overlook," Stevens said. "This goes out to them."
The scholarship, the first of its kind in Loudoun County, offers a way for school parent-teacher groups to express their appreciation for school workers by donating to the fund.
"This provides them a way to say, 'Thank you,' in a really tangible way," Stevens said.
He said he hopes to raise scholarship funds though contributions from local businesses, labor organizations and private donors.
The endowment fund for the scholarship is held by the Northern Virginia Community Foundation, and the scholarship will be presented each year by the Loudoun Education Foundation.
To be eligible for a scholarship, the recipient must be the child of a full-time public schools employee working in custodial facilities, food service, transportation or a warehouse position. The parent must have been a Loudoun County Public Schools employee for at least five years.
Scholarships will be awarded based on financial need, history of community service and potential for advancement through higher education.
Donations to the endowment fund can be made at www.NOVACF.org. More information will be available soon at www.loudounschools.org.
Contact the reporter at ecoe@timespapers.com
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