Ethel Percy Andrus Legacy Award for Innovation
In honor of AARP's founder and its 50th anniversary being celebrated in 2008, AARP created The Ethel Percy Andrus Legacy Award for Innovation. A $10,000 prize will be awarded to one public secondary school (grades 8 - 12) in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands in recognition of an innovative program or practice currently operating in a school. The winning schools were officially announced on February 7, 2008.
The 50th anniversary celebration also includes the The Ethel Percy Andrus Legacy Awards, a $100,000 prize that will be awarded to a public high school (grades 8 - 12) in cities that have been selected as focal points for AARP's 50th Anniversary celebration. Those cities are Chicago, Houston, Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Learn more about this $100,000 Legacy award.
Public high school principals in every state, DC, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico were invited submit a brief description of a program or practice that has enhanced student achievement or contributed to an improved environment for the students, the school, or the community served by the school. One public high school from each state will receive a $10,000 award. This awards program has been established as part of AARP's 50th anniversary celebration. To learn more about the life of Ethel Percy Andrus, download a short biography of this woman's remarkable life (47K in PDF format, free Adobe Reader required).
More About the Award
The Prize
More About the Award
The award was developed to honor AARP's founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus. Prior to founding AARP, Dr. Andrus achieved broad recognition as a creative and innovative public high school educator in the state of California. Dr. Andrus was the first woman appointed to lead a public secondary high school in California and in that position developed and implemented a host of innovative programs that served the interest of her students and the community.
All public secondary school principals were invited to apply for the award. Entries were accepted until November 1, 2007. Judging teams, which included members of state Retired Educator Associations, were formed in each state to choose the winning school. Click here to see a list of the winning schools.
The Prize
Public secondary high schools (grades 8 - 12) in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands are eligible for a $10,000 award in recognition of an existing program or practice that demonstrates successful innovation in the areas of student achievement or contributes to an improved environment for students, the school, or the community served by the school.
