Indiana teacher earns national honor for family learning

The National Center for Families Learning and Toyota awarded $25,000 to educators in Indiana and Alabama to support their efforts at engaging families in the classroom.

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Nov. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Megan Singh has always understood the power of education to provide a foundation for family success. As a multilingual teacher and adult educator at Enlace Academy, a charter school in Indianapolis, Indiana, Ms. Singh has worked to give families the tools they need to thrive. Her efforts have earned her the title of 2024 Toyota Family Teacher of the Year, a national designation that recognizes outstanding educators who are exceptional in engaging families in learning.

After joining the Enlace team in 2022, Ms. Singh made an immediate impact by implementing adult English classes for the families of multilingual students, pioneering home visits, and instituting family literacy programming for the families she serves. Ms. Singh's dedication to her students also prompted her to expand her teaching to six days a week, offering a Saturday morning adult education class to meet the needs and schedule of Enlace families. There were several factors that led to Ms. Singh's selection as the 2024 Toyota Family Teacher of the Year, including her ability to tailor her approach to the unique needs of her students and adult learners and her willingness to meet those needs both inside and outside the classroom. View a video of Ms. Singh being surprised with her award on NCFL's Youtube page.

For 28 years, the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) and Toyota have partnered to recognize educators from across the country who use a strong multigenerational approach to learning and focus on building effective family-school partnerships that support student learning outcomes and school improvement. Educators from across the country were nominated by their peers or leadership to be considered for the 2024 Toyota Family Teacher of the Year honor. Winners were chosen based on a variety of criteria, including demonstrated passion and persistence for supporting family literacy and engagement and implementation of innovative ideas to expand their family learning programs.

The award was made public today in Louisville, Kentucky by Toyota group vice president and chief information officer, Holly Walters, and NCFL CEO and president, Dr. Felicia C. Smith, during the proceedings of the 2024 Families Learning Conference. Both Ms. Singh and runner-up Denielia Turner, formerly of Rolling Hills Elementary in Huntsville, Alabama, were on hand to receive the honor.

"This award recognizes educators who are building meaningful family/school partnerships that empower families, spur student achievement, and contribute to lasting improvements in schools and communities," says Walters. "These two educators not only inspire families but have also created pathways for positive change that will ripple through both Huntsville and Indianapolis."

When nominated, Denielia Turner was a 2nd grade teacher at Rolling Hills Elementary School in Huntsville, Alabama. Ms. Turner worked at Rolling Hills for 27 years, establishing strong bonds with families in the community. In addition to her classroom work, Ms. Turner organized after school programming supporting family literacy and pioneered the school's Parents as Partners program. Ms. Turner has since been promoted to the role of reading coach at Jones Valley Elementary School, also in Huntsville.

As the 2024 Toyota Family Teacher of the Year winner, Ms. Singh received $20,000 to expand her family learning programming. She plans to use the money to purchase computers to support parenting adults in developing digital literacy skills and for books in various languages for her multilingual classroom. As the runner-up, Ms. Turner received a $5,000 grant to support her school and home library efforts.

"Both Megan and Denielia understand that strong families are the heart beat of strong communities," says NCFL president and CEO, Dr. Felicia C. Smith. "Through their efforts, they're helping families succeed both academically and economically while also strengthening a sense of belonging for students and parenting adults that extends beyond school walls. This honor is a testament to their dedication, and I look forward to seeing how they use these resources to expand their programming into the community."

Since 1997, Toyota Family Teacher of the Year winners, runners-up, and their respective organizations have received $700,000 and funded 56 innovative teacher-led projects. For a full list of past winners, visit NCFL's website.

About the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL)
NCFL is a national nonprofit that has worked for more than 35 years to eradicate poverty through education solutions for families. We believe education is a shared, nonpartisan responsibility and that collaboration among families, schools, and community members can lead to powerful learning experiences. NCFL's vision is to establish coordinated and aligned family learning systems in 60 communities by 2030, built with and for families, to increase education and economic outcomes and create more equitable communities. For more information on NCFL, visit familieslearning.org. To learn more about our vision or become a Family Learning Community partner, visit familieslearning.org/60x30.

Contact:
Amy Foster Parish
Director of Communications
National Center for Families Learning
502.584.1133
[email protected]
familieslearning.org

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SOURCE National Center for Families Learning