Dr. Luvelle Brown, Superintendent of the Ithaca City School District (ICSD), announced at the district’s annual Convocation that the Aspiring Educators Award will be renamed to the Abraham and Denise Lee Aspiring Educators Award in honor of two longtime educators who worked in the district for over 45 years. The award is given out each year, in partnership with the Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI), to ICSD high school students who are considering careers in education. This year’s award recipients are Tatianna Gelinas and Sean Silvers.
The decision to rename the award follows the ICSD and IPEI’s commitment to reversing the legacy of racism and establishing communities built on love and joy by recognizing both the teachers whose legacies embraced all students and the students from under-represented backgrounds who will inspire the next generation of learners.
During the presentation, Dr. Brown was joined by board of education president Dr. Sean Eversley Bradwell to announce this year’s winners and honor the contributions of Denise and Abraham Lee. “They were innovators, and they have been out in front of what’s happening in our industry,” Dr. Brown shared. “These folks have been talking about STEM education and representation of people from marginalized backgrounds in STEM for decades. They did the work. And sometimes, they were the only people doing the work.”
Tatianna Gelinas and Sean Silvers, this year’s recipients of the Abraham and Denise Lee Aspiring Educators Award, will be provided mentorship opportunities with ICSD teachers and administrators and will be included in professional development activities that expose them to the education profession.
“I pray and hope that we inspired young people,” Denise Lee said during a video message at Convocation. “I did my best, and Abe did his best, to help young people love to learn, have them want to succeed, have them want to know that they are somebody and that they could do anything if they put their mind and heart to it.”
The IPEI provides support for Superintendent Brown’s vision and mission as a district through the ICSD Superintendent Fund. This special fund is open for tax-deductible donations from community members who share Dr. Brown’s interest in encouraging local youth to consider careers in education through the Abraham and Denise Lee Aspiring Educators Award Program. Find more information about making a gift to support this award at www.ipei.org/special-funds.