Forum on Education Leads Endowment Drive for New APS Excellence in Education Award

Fundraising is underway for the new Excellence in Physics Education Award that has been approved by the APS Council. The Forum on Education is spearheading the fundraising campaign.

The APS Excellence in Education Award is unique in that it seeks to recognize a group (such as, for example, members of a university physics department), rather than a single person. The criteria for the Award state that the Excellence in Physics Education Award will recognize and honor a team or group of individuals (such as a collaboration), or, exceptionally, a single individual, who has exhibited a sustained commitment to excellence in physics education. Such a commitment may be evidenced by, but not restricted to, such accomplishments as:

• Outreach programs
• A specific program or project that has had a major ongoing influence on physics education at the national level
• Outstanding teacher enhancement or teacher preparation programs over a number of years
• Long-lasting professional service related to physics education that has had a demonstrated positive impact.

The fundraising campaign has already raised $30,000 of its $100,000 goal. The Forum on Education will match up to $30,000 in contributions from APS members so such contributions are doubly valuable.

Any contribution over $100 can be designated to honor a teacher or mentor who has been influential in the donor’s professional training. The APS will send a letter to the honoree or the honoree’s family to inform them of the gift.

If the campaign receives strong support this year, the Award can become fully endowed in 2005, with the first award then given in 2006. Once the goal is met, an Excellence in Physics Education Award of $5,000 will be given annually.

Additional information including downloadable and electronic pledge forms are available on the Forum’s web page: http://www.aps.org/units/fed/