Hill receives prestigious award

Friday morning at Thermopolis Middle School, Shannon Hill received quite a surprise as she was announced as a recipient of the Milken Educator Award and $25,000.

The Milken Educator Awards, created by the Milken Family Foundation in 1987, recognizes teaching excellence publicly not only to inspire educators, but students and entire communities about the importance of joining the teaching profession. The prestigious honor, to be presented this 2017-18 season at 44 schools across the nation, has been described as “the Oscars of teaching” by Teacher magazine.

More than $138 million in funding, including $68 million in individual $25,000 awards, has been devoted to the overall initiative, which includes powerful professional learning opportunities throughout recipients’ careers.

This is the only Milken Educator Award to be given in Wyoming this season. It is also the first one ever received by a Thermopolis teacher, and the first awarded in Wyoming in 10 years; the last was presented to Tracy Petsch of Albin Elementary School in 2008.