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The Milken Educator Awards Initiative Celebrates 40 Years of Elevating America’s Outstanding Educators with $25,000 Prizes

Created by Lowell Milken, the Awards honor K-12 professionals who inspire students, strengthen schools and harness their potential to shape the future of education

October 13, 2026

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — The Milken Educator Awards are marking four decades of shining a spotlight on America’s most inspirational, effective, and beloved educators. This 2026-27 school year, up to 30 exceptional K-12 education professionals will be recognized, honored and celebrated with the prestigious Milken Educator Award, joining the ranks of more than 3,000 members of a national network working to advance education. 

The annual Milken Educator Awards Tour begins next week, bringing surprise all-school assemblies to communities across the country as students, colleagues, dignitaries and media gather to celebrate their cherished local change-makers. The Awards, created by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken, have become the nation’s preeminent teacher-recognition program and are hailed by media as the “Oscars of Teaching.” Recipients are K-12 teachers, principals and specialists who demonstrate high-quality teaching, professional leadership, family and community engagement, and promise for even greater contributions to the personal and academic development of children. 

“The message of the Milken Educator Awards affirmed four decades ago rings true today: that greatness in education deserves national celebration. For talented teachers put America’s students on a path to a bright future,” said Milken Educator Awards Founder Lowell Milken. “Every Award notification brims with anticipation and excitement as we celebrate great educators, elevate their voices and activate their capacity to strengthen the profession for generations to come.” 

Since the Awards’ first presentation in 1987, more than $76 million in individual cash prizes and over $147 million has been invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall, empowering recipients to broaden their impact and encouraging young, capable people to consider a career in education. 

The Milken Educator Award is not a lifetime achievement honor. Recipients are sought out while early-to-mid-career for what they have achieved – and for the promise of what they will accomplish given the resources and opportunities afforded by the Award. 

The Milken Educator Award Reaps Lifelong Benefits

• The $25,000 cash Award is unrestricted. Recipients have used the money in diverse ways. Some recipients have spent the funds on their children’s or their own continuing education, financing dream field trips, establishing scholarships, and even adopting children.
• Honorees receive powerful mentorship opportunities for expanded leadership roles that strengthen education practice and policy. Milken Friends Forever (MFF) pairs a new recipient with a veteran Milken Educator mentor; the Expanding MFF Resource and Explorer Program fosters individual veteran Milken Educator partnerships around specific topic areas; Activating Milken Educators (AME) promotes group collaboration in and across states to bring solutions to pressing educational needs; and the Milken Educator Collective connects recipients with shared content areas, grade levels, or professional roles. Milken MeetUps abound across the nation to deepen learning and connection and expand innovation in education.
• The honorees will attend an all-expenses-paid Milken Educator Awards Forum from June 4-6, 2027, in Washington, D.C., where they will network with their new colleagues, as well as veteran Milken Educators and other leaders, about how to amplify their voices as beacons of excellence in the profession.
• Veteran Milken Educators demonstrate a wide range of leadership roles at state, national and international levels. 

The Milken Educator Award might come to a community near you! Who will be next? Join us as we surprise these remarkable individuals and celebrate their dedication to excellence in education! Follow the tour and use the #MEA40 and #MilkenAward hashtags on: YouTube (MilkenAward) | Facebook (MilkenEducatorAwards) | Instagram (MilkenFamilyFdn) | TikTok (MilkenAward) | X (Milken) | LinkedIn (MilkenFamilyFdn). 

Visit MilkenEducatorAwards.org or call the Milken Family Foundation at (310) 570-4772 for more information.

About the Milken Educator Awards: “The Future Belongs to the Educated”
The first Milken Educator Awards were presented by the Milken Family Foundation in 1987. Created by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken, the Awards provide public recognition and individual financial rewards of $25,000 to K-12 teachers, principals, and specialists from around the country who are furthering excellence in education. Recipients are heralded in early-to-mid-career for what they have achieved and for the promise of what they will accomplish. The Milken Family Foundation celebrates over four decades of elevating education in America and around the world. Learn more at MFF.org.

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