WGU and Scholastic Helping Teachers Stock Classrooms

SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the new school year begins, schools and their teachers are seeking to stock up their classrooms with the materials they need. To help equip these classrooms as teachers go back to school, Western Governors University (WGU), the online university with the top-ranked teacher education program in the nation, and Scholastic, the leading publisher and distributor of children's books and provider of print and digital instructional materials for pre-K to grade 12 schools, have teamed up for a Back-to-School Teacher Sweepstakes.

The sweepstakes, which launched on September 16, will award prizes that support schools and their educators in improving their classrooms and building more comprehensive collections of in-class materials:

• One grand prize-winning teacher will win a $2,500 gift card for their school, a $500 gift card for their classroom, and a Scholastic classroom library valued at $100.
• Nine first prize-winning teachers will receive $300 gift cards each for their classrooms and a Scholastic classroom library valued at $100.
• Up to 100 runner-up teachers will each receive a $25 gift card for their classroom and a Scholastic Professional Development book.

As a special encouragement to K-12 teachers to continue their education, WGU will also provide all eligible teachers who submit entries with an application fee waiver to apply to a bachelor's or master's degree program. As a university committed to helping fill the need for dedicated, high-quality teachers, WGU offers a flexible and affordable option for hardworking, busy educators. Recently, the nonprofit university announced the launch of the Back-to-School Scholarship, which will award 100 scholarships valued at up to $2,000 each. The application deadline for this scholarship is October 31, 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 more than 13,500 enrolled students and 17,500 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 Back-to-School Teacher Sweepstakes, schools must have any grades K-12 that are public or accredited private schools or home schools in compliance with the laws of its state in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.  Entries on behalf of the schools may only be submitted by teachers at the entering school who teach grades K-12 and who are legal residents of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia and who are currently over the age of 18. Teachers must submit their name, email, phone, and mailing address on the online sweepstakes entry form, which can be found at scholastic.com/wgu. The deadline for entry is November 11, 2015.  NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. For complete rules, visit scholastic.com/wgu/pdfs/WGU_BTS-OfficialRules.pdf.

About WGU

Now with 60,000 students and 50,000 graduates nationwide, WGU offers more than 50 online, competency-based bachelor's and master's degree programs in the high-demand fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. Recognized by President Obama as an innovative university that "awards credits based on learning, not seat time," WGU has been named one of Fast Company's "Most Innovative Companies " and has been featured on NPR's "All Things Considered," NBC Nightly News, CNN's "Schools of Thought," and in The New York Times.

WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The university 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, USA Funds, and Zions Bank. More information is available at www.wgu.edu or by calling 866.225.5948.

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SOURCE Western Governors University