SPRINGTIME CELEBRATION: Sunday, June 6th
There was music in the air at Mill River Park as SPEF brought the community together for its first-ever Excellence in Education Celebration. This outdoor celebration honored award recipients and SPEF supporters while featuring performances by students from all over Stamford.
Excellence in Education 2021 Awards: March 25th at 6PM
The annual event was held virtually in 2021 and continued the tradition of bringing together community members, corporations, school administrators, teachers, parents, and other nonprofit agencies to celebrate the power of public education for students and families in Stamford.
SPEF honored the following 2021 award recipients:
| SPEF Educator Award | Katie Welsh Luciana Lira Betsy DeSantis Ryan Carey Fred Kelley |
| SPEF Leadership Award | Jack Bryant (posthumous) |
| SPEF Philanthropy Award | Gartner |
| Stamford Public Schools’ Teacher of the Year Award | Donna Kaiser |
Excellence in Education 2020 Awards: June 22nd at 6PM
The annual event was held virtually in 2020 and continued the tradition of bringing together community members, corporations, school administrators, teachers, parents, and other nonprofit agencies to celebrate the power of public education for students and families in Stamford.
SPEF honored the following 2020 award recipients:
| SPEF Educator Award | Brenda Zanga, AITE |
| SPEF Leadership Award | Wendy Block & Vicki Craver, Founders of Impact Fairfield County |
| SPEF Philanthropy Award | Pitney Bowes |
| Stamford Public Schools’ Teacher of the Year Award | Lisa Legato-Howlett & Barbara Hanauer |
Excellence 2021 Photos
Special Thanks to our Photographer: Denice Dutra-Laveris
Past Excellence in Education Awards Photos
Special Thanks to our Photographer: Denice Dutra-Laveris
SPEF IS PROUD TO HAVE HONORED THE FOLLOWING 2021 AWARD RECIPIENTS
SPEF Leadership Award
Jack Bryant (posthumous)
Jack was a member of the Board of Education and the former President of the Stamford NAACP. He was honored for his tireless advocacy on behalf of underserved families and students in our community.
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PEF Educator Award
This year’s educators, nominated by the community, were recognized for their dedication in creating an exceptional learning environment for Stamford students during this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. Winners were announced during the Virtual Awards Ceremony.
SPEF Community Giving Award
Gartner was recognized for its exemplary dedication to enriching the lives of students and families in Stamford’s public schools through volunteerism and financial support.
SPS Teacher of the Year
Donna Kaiser, Stamford High School
Congratulations to Donna who will represent Stamford Public Schools in the State and National Teacher of the Year program. Congratulations to finalists for Teacher of the Year: Judy Anker, Stillmeadow; Ashley Porter Collins, Westhill High School. Congratulations to Spotlight Award recipients: Shakia (Kia) Amaro, Stillmeadow; Jillian Churchill, Cloonan; Kirsten Cianci, Anchor; Briana Coyle, Northeast; Nicole Ballantoni, Dolan. All of these educators bring special levels of innovation, creativity and inspiration to Stamford’s children.
*The Springtime Celebration was held following guidelines dictated by the CDC, State of Connecticut, and the City of Stamford Health Department.
GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.
SPEF THANKS THE FOLLOWING 2021 SPONSORS
