Golden Apple Educator Award 2019

Now Accepting Entries for the 2019 Educator Award

We are now accepting entries for this year’s Golden Apple Educator Award! Entrants must be a Freedom Member and an employee at a Harford County school (public or private).

To enter, submit an entry form and essay. The essay must describe how you would use the funds and why you should be the one to win! Scoring favors proposals demonstrating the greatest impact on local schools, classes, students, and/or the community at large. The winning entry receives a $2,000 award. Freedom will also award 2nd and 3rd entries $500 each.

To enter, complete the entry form and submit an essay that explains why you deserve the award. Your essay may address any or all of the following questions:

  1. What is your plan to benefit your students, your class or your school? How will this money help you implement your plan?
  2. Will you take a continuing education class or classes to improve your own education and expertise? (Please be specific.) How will your education improve your students’ learning?
  3. Will you purchase supplies for your school or classroom?  How will the supplies help improve student learning? (Please provide as many quantitative details as possible.)
  4. Will your plan, training, or purchases affect the Harford County Community? If yes, how so?

Please submit your Golden Apple – Educator Award Entry Form, 2019 and essay to marketing@freedomfcu.org by May 1All entries will be reviewed by a panel of Freedom employees, volunteers and community partners.

  • Entry deadline is May 30, 2019    (NEW EXTENDED DEADLINE!) 
  • Submit by email to marketing@freedomfcu.org
  • We will announce the winner by June 15, 2019

Golden Apple Education Award 2018

Entry is Now Open for the 2018 Education Award

We are now accepting entries for this year’s Golden Apple Education Award! Entrants must be a Freedom member and a Harford County Public Schools employee.

To enter, submit an entry form and essay. The essay must describe how you would use the funds and why you should be the one to win! Scoring favors proposals demonstrating the greatest impact on local schools, classes, students, and/or the community at large. The winning entry receives a $2,000 award. Freedom will also award 2nd and 3rd entries $500 each.

To enter, complete the entry form and submit an essay that explains why you deserve the award. Your essay may address any or all of the following questions:

  1. What is your plan to benefit your students, your class or your school? How will this money help you implement your plan?
  2. Will you take a continuing education class or classes to improve your own education and expertise? (Please be specific.) How will your education improve your students’ learning?
  3. Will you purchase supplies for your school or classroom?  How will the supplies help improve student learning? (Please provide as many quantitative details as possible.)
  4. Will your plan, training, or purchases affect the Harford County Community? If yes, how so?

Please submit your Golden Apple Education Award Entry Form and essay to marketing@freedomfcu.org by May 1All entries will be reviewed by a panel of Freedom employees, volunteers and community partners.

  • Entry deadline is May 1, 2018    
  • Submit by email to marketing@freedomfcu.org
  • We will announce the winner by June 15, 2018

Golden Apple-Plus Educator Award

Golden Apple-Plus Educator Award Winners

2017 Golden Apple-Plus Education Award Winners
Freedom’s 2017 Golden Apple-Plus annual Educator Award winners! Pictured are (L to R): Sandra Waltemire, special education teacher at North Harford Middle, runner-up award; Patrice Ricciardi, Freedom Business development Specialist; Paula Pawlowicz, fifth grade teacher at Churchville Elementary, the winner!; Mike MacPherson, Freedom President and CEO; Kim Mayforth, early intervention special educator at John Archer School, runner-up award; and Randy Geyer, Principal, Bel Air High School.

We’re happy to announce that Deborah Pawlowicz has won our 2017 Golden Apple-Plus Annual Educator Award competition. Ms. Pawlowicz wins the top $1,000 prize for her idea to use technology to improve the reading skills of her students.

We support the Harford County education community. Therefore, this annual Golden Apple-Plus Annual Educator Award is for a Freedom member who is also a deserving teacher, school administrator or school support employee. Ms. Pawlowicz is a fifth grade English Language Arts teacher at Churchville Elementary. She states in her entry that she wants her students to read with a purpose, and to be able to really understand and analyze text. This is often a challenge when reading is done on a computer. Therefore, Ms. Pawlowicz recommends buying a website subscription to enable this interaction. Features include a way for both the teacher and students to choose their reading level. This way, students who are struggling readers can read and interact with the same article that gifted readers use. This award allows Ms. Pawlowicz to purchase the needed subscriptions.

Runner-Up Winners

There are two Runner-Up awards with each recipient earning a $250 award. The Golden Apple-Plus Education Award runner-up winners are:

Kim Mayforth, an Early Intervention Special Educator in the Infants and Toddlers Program at John Archer School. Ms Mayforth works with developmentally challenged children from birth to age 3. She proposes the purchase of adaptive toys that promote the learning of cause and effect and intentionality. The toys also foster communication, motor development and social-emotional development.

Sandra Waltemire teaches children with significant intellectual disabilities at North Harford Middle School. Her idea is to purchase supplies and ingredients to help her students apply skills in a real-life-situation — completing a cooking recipe. In the process, functional math skills, such as budgeting, price comparison and measurement are taught. In addition, students learn to independently prepare food at home in the future.

All Golden Apple-Plus Award applicants are asked to submit an essay demonstrating how their idea serves their students, class, school and the Harford County community. A panel of Freedom employees and board members judge each year’s entries.