4/29/2021
Education and Outreach
The teachers honored with The Smith Center’s sixth-annual Heart of Education Awards know a lot about overcoming challenges.
Milton Castellanos fled to the U.S. to avoid being drafted by the Communist army in Nicaragua. He worked several years in manual labor before he could gain permanent residence, in order to complete his education and become a teacher.
Today, as a Spanish teacher at Northwest Career and Technical Academy, Castellanos strives to help students understand the importance of preparing for a more promising life.
“Education is the key,” he says, adding that learning shouldn’t end at high school. “There are so many more opportunities for those who set their sights on education beyond high school.”
Because of Castellanos’ commitment to always being there for his students, he became one of 20 educators this April to receive a Heart of Education Award, which honors Clark County School District (CCSD) teachers who go above and beyond.
The honorees, all chosen by a panel of judges, each received a $5,000 cash award and commemorative medallion, plus a $1,000 donation to their respective schools.
The Smith Center also recognized approximately 700 hardworking teachers as finalists through the awards program, made possible with support from The Rogers Foundation.
This past year stands as one of the most significant in Southern Nevada history for celebrating teachers, says Myron Martin, Smith Center president and CEO.
“Every teacher deserves an award this year because they all went above and beyond, never letting down the students who count on them,” Martin says.
Celebrating Teachers At Home
In the past, The Smith Center’s Heart of Education Awards event featured live performances, swag bags for all finalists, and surprise keynote speakers such as former First Lady Laura Bush and current First Lady Dr. Jill Biden.
Although the live event didn’t occur at The Smith Center this year, teachers still received much-deserved recognition.
The Smith Center surprised each of the 20 award recipients at their schools with a special presentation of a medallion and a check, with the on-site visits filmed for a PBS broadcast that will air on May 23.
The center also provided surprise gift packages to all of the several hundred finalists, each nominated by their peers, students and community members.
Thanks to the support of numerous community sponsors, each finalist received a wide variety of special items. These included $50 coupons for Allegiant Air, free cupcakes from Showboy Bakeshop, a free pass to Las Vegas Mini Grand Prix, a $25 coupon to Fresco Italiano Restaurant at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, and a buy-one-get-one-free offer from Discovery Children’s Museum.
Community Service, Technology Coaching, Games And More
The 20 award recipients included Southwest Career and Technical Academy teacher Sarah Cooper, who raised more than $9,000 during the pandemic to purchase supplies for her science students.
Joel M. Bradley, a teacher with Jerome Mack Middle School, devised a work plan to support his school’s student population during distance learning. Even after contracting Covid, Bradley and his team made an average of 30 home visits a week to provide much-needed assistance to students and their families.
Teacher Sarah M. Dlouhy with Tyrone Thompson Elementary School encourages engagement with games like Egg Roulette, where students answer a question and get the chance to make her smash an egg on her head.
Del Sol Academy of the Performing Arts High School teacher Nicole Pate became an educational technology coach, to guide her fellow teachers through the challenges of distance learning.
“It has been such a joy to be able to create resources for my fellow teachers,” says Pate. “While this year has been very difficult, it has truly reassured me that being an educator is my calling.”
Making Magic For Students
This year’s Heart of Education winners demonstrated a commitment to teaching in a way that can only be described as magic, says Beverly Rogers, board chairman of The Rogers Foundation.
"While bringing about magic this year was challenging, they did it and they did it with heart and passion,” Rogers says. “It is this heart that lifted students’ spirits, gave them goals to strive for and the tools to achieve them. It is for this reason and so many more that we are humbled and honored to celebrate them."
The 20 award recipients for the sixth-annual Heart of Education Awards include:
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Hernan Aguirre, William E. Snyder Elementary School
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Sarah E. Alsterlind, Shelley Berkley Elementary School
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Joel M. Bradley, Jerome Mack Middle School
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Milton Castellanos, Northwest Career and Technical Academy
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Sarah Cooper, Southeast Career and Technical Academy
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Christiana M. Diaz Caballero, Myrtle Tate Elementary School
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Sarah M. Dlouhy, Tyrone Thompson Elementary School
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Nicole Hunt, Wilbur and Theresa Faiss Middle School
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Xiaowei Hunt, Ed W. Clark High School
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Jamie Huston, Las Vegas Academy of the Arts
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Cassandra N. Jones Barcelo, Las Vegas Academy of the Arts
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Mike D. Lang, Laura Dearing Elementary School
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Jeremy S. Lawson, Desert Pines High School
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Brenda J. McNair, Dorothy Eisenberg Elementary School
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Christine M. Mecham, Lied STEM Academy
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Kristan Noelle Nigro, Steve Schorr Elementary School
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Nicole Pate, Del Sol Academy of the Performing Arts
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Jose Israel Ramirez Gamez, Spring Valley High School
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Anna D. Stein, Marion B. Earl Elementary School
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Amy B. Zeiders, Lorna J. Kesterson Elementary School