WGU and Scholastic Celebrate Educators with Teacher Appreciation Sweepstakes

SALT LAKE CITY, May 12, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To recognize and celebrate the dedication and accomplishments of educators nationwide, Western Governors University (WGU), and Scholastic have teamed up for a Teacher Appreciation Sweepstakes. The online university with the top-ranked teacher education program in the country along with Scholastic, the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books and a leading provider of instructional programs for pre-K to grade 12 schools, launched the giveaway in conjunction with Teacher Appreciation Week 2015, which was celebrated May 4 through 8.

Recognizing the need for more and better classroom materials, WGU and Scholastic will award ten teachers $300 gift cards for school supplies as well as Scholastic classroom libraries for their classrooms. Up to 100 runners-up will each receive a Scholastic Professional Development book and a $25 Amazon gift card to support them in improving classroom instruction and building more comprehensive collections of in-class materials.

As a special encouragement to K-12 teachers to continue their education, WGU will also provide all entrants with an application fee waiver. As an institution committed to help fill the need for dedicated, high-quality teachers, WGU offers a flexible and affordable option for hardworking, busy educators. In March of 2015, the nonprofit university also announced the launch of the Excellence in Education Scholarship, awarding up to $400,000 worth of tuition to current and aspiring teachers. The application deadline for this scholarship has been extended to June 30, 2015.

The first exclusively online university to earn accreditation from the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), WGU's Teachers College continues to grow with nearly 13,000 enrolled students and more than 16,000 graduates nationwide. In 2014, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) named WGU's secondary teacher education program number one in the nation. In addition, WGU is the largest producer of math and science teachers in the country.

To be eligible to enter the WGU Teacher Appreciation Sweepstakes, candidates must be teachers in grades K–12 and must submit their name, email, phone and mailing address on the online sweepstakes entry form, which can be found at www.scholastic.com/wgu. The deadline for entry is June 26, 2015.  NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. For complete rules go to http://www.scholastic.com/sweepstakes/WGU_SweepstakesRules.pdf.

About WGU
Established in 1997 by a bipartisan group of U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, WGU has been recognized by the White House as what works in post-secondary education. The online university has more than 57,000 students and 43,000 graduates in all 50 states and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. WGU has been named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies and featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. 

WGU has earned the support of more than 20 leading corporations and foundations, including AT&T, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lilly Endowment, HCA, Hewlett-Packard, Lumina Foundation, Microsoft, Oracle, SunGard Higher Education, and Zions Bank. More information is available at www.wgu.edu or by calling 866.225.5948.

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Contact for media inquiries:
Joan Mitchell – VP of Public Relations          
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SOURCE Western Governors University