Innovative St. Louis Educator Earns Peabody/Logos Mentorship Honor

ST. LOUIS, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Peabody/Logos "Leaders in Education" award is being presented to Notre Dame High School business educator and student council advisor Ann Bolzenius. The honor recognizes her remarkable and nearly three-decade career teaching area students and educators the values of leadership, volunteerism and diversity.

"Ann holds high expectations for her students as well as the young leaders she advises," says Notre Dame Principal Sister Michelle Emmerich. "She inspires those around her to take personal responsibility for their lives and to achieve extraordinary things for their communities."

Under her guidance, Notre Dame High School's student council has been recognized for 20 consecutive years as one of Missouri's best and for the past three years as one of the nation's best, earning state and national Gold Honor Council designations. Ms. Bolzenius helps lead the Missouri Association of Student Councils, an organization which promotes character development and personal responsibility among elected student officers.

Peabody Energy has pledged $450,000 over three years to support the Peabody/Logos Leaders in Education awards program and benefit the mission of Logos School. The honor recognizes exceptional mentors who transform the lives of St. Louis students and comes with a $1,000 grant.

Any employee at a Missouri or Illinois public, charter or private school serving students in kindergarten through grade 12 can qualify. A committee of academic, business and civic leaders selects each honoree. More information and applications are available at LogosSchool.org/Leaders.

Ms. Bolzenius has organized district, state and national training for student leaders and advisors, nearly doubled student and teacher participation at conferences and served on the national advisory board for student leadership. She also invited Special Olympics athletes to attend the week-long Missouri Association of Student Councils camp. Students, advisors and athletes with developmental disabilities worked side by side, learning real-life lessons in the value of tolerance and diversity.

Her accolades include the Difference Maker Award from The Alliance for Student Activities, the Excellence in Teaching Award from Emerson Electric and the Educator of Achievement honor from the Missouri Council for American Private Education. She also was named Waren Schull Advisor of the Year by the National Association of Student Councils and Student Council Advisor of the Year by the Missouri Association of Student Councils. A published author, she regularly writes leadership articles for educational publications.

"Ms. Bolzenius teaches far more than personal finance at Notre Dame High School," said Dr. David Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of Logos School. "The students she instructs and the advisors she guides learn to lead with integrity and ethics."

Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU) is the world's largest private-sector coal company, with 2008 sales of 255 million tons and $6.6 billion in revenues. Its coal products fuel 10 percent of all U.S. electricity generation and 2 percent of worldwide electricity.

Logos School is an independent, alternative, therapeutic school in St. Louis. The school is dedicated to assisting students and their families with academic and emotional needs that have not been met in a traditional classroom. Founded in 1970, Logos has helped more than 1,400 at-risk adolescents to achieve a high school diploma.

    CONTACT:
    Meg Gallagher
    (314) 342-7963

SOURCE Peabody Energy