Golden Apple Educator Award

Golden Apple Educator Awards – 2025

We are now accepting entries for this year’s Golden Apple Educator Award!

Entrants must be a current Freedom FCU or Atlantic Financial FCU Member* and an employee at a Harford County, Baltimore County, Baltimore City, or Carroll County school (public or private, PreK-12th).

now FEATURING

TWO $2,000 Awards  –  FOUR $1,000 Awards  –  FOUR $500 Awards

 

To enter, submit an entry form and essay. The essay must describe how you would use the funds and why you should be selected for an award! Scoring favors proposals demonstrating the greatest impact on local schools, classes, students, and/or the community at large.

Freedom Federal Credit Union has once again increased the number of grant awards available, and is pleased to offer TEN Annual Educator Awards ranging from $500 up to $2,000.  Eligible applicants are Education Employees who may be a deserving teacher, school administrator or school support employee from a Harford County, Baltimore County, Baltimore City, or Carroll County school.

Scoring favors submissions with the greatest impact and creativity with a strong preference for ideas/initiatives that are sustainable over multiple years.

.TO ENTER: Complete the entry form and submit an essay that demonstrates the significance of your idea or initiative and how it will be beneficial. Your essay may address any or all of the following questions:

  1. What is your creative idea or initiative to benefit your students, your class, or your school? If you win this award, how will you make it happen using the funds from this award?
  2. How will your idea or initiative support or improve the learning experience of your students or benefit your classroom or school overall?
  3. Will your idea or initiative benefit the overall community? If yes, how so?

Please submit your Golden Apple – 2025 Educator Award Entry Form and essay to enter@freedomfcu.org by May 31, 2025.

All entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges made up of Freedom employees, volunteers and community partners.

  • Entry deadline is May 31, 2025 
  • Submit by email to enter@freedomfcu.org
  • We will contact award recipients by June 20, 2025

LEARN ABOUT THE EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS OFFERED TO OUR EDUCATORS- EXPLORE THE REST OF THE GOLDEN APPLE PROGRAM!

*New members are also welcome to apply! Educators that are members of Atlantic Financial FCU are now apart of our Freedom FCU family and are also welcome to apply.

Read About Past Golden Apple Awardees:

2024 Recipients
2023 Recipients
2022 Recipients
2021 Recipients
2020 Recipients
2019 Recipients

County Teachers Win Golden Apple Awards

Golden Apple Awards Reception Held June 22

Freedom Federal Credit Union President and CEO, Mike MacPherson, with 2018 Golden Apple Annual Education Awards recipients
Freedom Federal Credit Union President and CEO, Mike MacPherson, with 2018 Golden Apple Annual Education Award recipients. (L to R): Jacob Bennett, Kathleen Ford, and Tara Recor

Freedom hosted a reception at the Credit Union’s Park Avenue branch to celebrate this year’s Golden Apple Awards winners. Kathleen Ford, a music teacher at the John Archer School won this year’s grand prize. Ms. Ford received the $2,000 prize for her plan to better connect students with disabilities through music and song. One of Ms. Ford’s goals is to purchase a complete set of Music K-8 magazines and CDs. Her entry also calls for adapted instruments, assistive devices and software. These items will better enable students with severe physical challenges to produce music independently.

Although we received a record number of submissions this year, Ms. Ford’s thoughtfulness and creativity in considering how the award could affect positive change for her students, school, and community made her application standout.

Additionally, two runners-up were selected: Jacob Bennett, Kindergarten Teacher at Havre de Grace Elementary, and Tara Recor, Gifted &Talented Resource Teacher at Prospect Mill and Halls Cross Roads Elementary schools. Both Mr. Bennett and Ms. Recor will receive $500 each to fund initiatives at their respective schools.

The Golden Apple Educator Award benefits Freedom members who work for HCPS and have a creative vision for education that can only be met with community support. Contest applicants must submit an essay demonstrating how their idea would serve their students, class, school and the Harford County community. A panel of Freedom employees, board members, and community leaders judges each year’s entries.