Air Base Elementary Teacher
wins Unsung Heroes award

UTD Member Patricia Fairclough was awarded $2000, Tuesday, September 25, for being selected one of the nation’s most innovative educators in the 2007 ING Unsung Heroes awards program. 

Ms. Fairclough, a second grade National Board Certified Teacher at Air Base Elementary in Homestead was chosen from hundreds of applicants from across the country for her “Book a Trip Around the World” program. Her innovative seven-month global literary tour uses multicultural literature as a catalyst for an in-depth exploration of world cultures. Some 650 Air Base students from kindergarten through fifth grade will take a cultural literacy journey around the world enabling them to gain a new awareness of different customs, lifestyles, values and traditions.

“We are so proud to have one of our members receive this award,” Aronowitz said. “It is because of creative, innovate teachers such as Ms. Fairclough that students acquire a love for learning and reading.”

The award money will be used by Ms. Fairclough to further her project within her school or the school system. As one of the 100 finalists, she will now compete for the grand prize, where three winners will be selected for first, second and third place. First place will be awarded $25,000; second place will be awarded $10,000; and third place will be awarded $5,000.