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Alaska Teacher Emily Snyder Recognized Nationally With $25,000 Milken Educator Award

Emily Snyder makes a big impact in Nenana as first-ever Milken Educator Award recipient in district history

December 19, 2024

Santa Monica, Calif. — On this cold, winter morning, Alaska Commissioner of Education Dr. Deena Bishop paid a visit to Nenana City School to recognize their increase in literacy scores. Then, Dr. Bishop took the schoolwide assembly in a new direction, introducing Dr. Joshua Barnett – representing the Milken Family Foundation as CEO of the National Institute of Excellence in Teaching – who announced that he had traveled to Nenana to surprise one outstanding teacher. As the crowd began to cheer, Dr. Barnett called out the name of the sole 2024-25 Alaska Milken Educator Award recipient: Emily Snyder! 

Along with the Award, Snyder was shocked to see the oversized, unrestricted $25,000 check with her name on it at the front of the assembly. A first and second grade teacher at Nenana City School, Snyder works diligently to provide a world-class education to students in their small, rural community. She is the first-ever Milken awardee in Nenana City School District history and the 74^th recipient since Alaska joined the Milken Educator Awards in 1990. 

"Everything Emily Snyder does in her classroom helps students reach their fullest potential," said Dr. Barnett. "At a young age, students are taking charge of their learning, developing problem-solving skills, and shaping their place in today’s world. Outside of the classroom, Emily demonstrates outstanding leadership in her school and the Nenana community. We look forward to her contributions to the Milken Educator Network, where she will have the opportunity to elevate her impact and broaden her sphere of excellence. Congratulations!" 

Today, Snyder joins a national network of over 3,000 Milken Educators spanning the Awards' nearly 40-year history as the nation's preeminent teacher-recognition program. Hailed as the "Oscars of Teaching," the Milken Educator Awards inspire educators, students and entire communities to "Celebrate, Elevate and Activate" the K-12 teaching profession and encourage young, capable people to pursue teaching as a career. More than $75 million in individual financial prizes and more than $145 million have been invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall. 

"Teachers like Emily are examples of what we as educators strive to be," said Commissioner Deena Bishop. "I applaud her commitment to reading education through proven methods of instruction and dedication that extends far beyond school hours. Congratulations on earning this prestigious Milken award, and thank you for your meaningful impact on Alaska's kids!" 

Outstanding educators like Snyder are not aware of their candidacy for the Award. Recipients are sought out while early- to mid-career for what they have achieved — and for the promise of what they will accomplish given the resources and opportunities afforded by the Award. 

More About Emily Snyder 

Strategic Instruction: In the small, rural town of Nenana, Alaska, Emily Snyder is making an enormous impact. A first and second grade teacher at Nenana City School, Snyder's efforts in the classroom contribute significantly to the high-quality education Nenana students receive on a daily basis. Applying her deep pedagogical knowledge and data-driven, evidence-based instructional strategies, she is skilled at creating engaging lessons tailored to student needs. Also serving as a district reading specialist, Snyder follows scientific-based reading curricula, University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI) Foundations of Literacy, and implements a daily reading routine in her classroom. With clear learning intentions and success criteria, her students take ownership of their learning at an early age, understanding their expectations and making real-life connections between the academic concepts and today's world. 

Exemplary Leadership: Snyder has a strong growth mindset for herself, her school, and her district through Nenana's alignment with the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching's (NIET) systems for educator excellence, leadership and professional development. She serves as a teacher leader on her school's instructional leadership team, guides the district's outreach efforts for family literacy, and helms Nenana's elementary-level Response to Intervention (RTI) program. Snyder has attended conferences, such as the Alaska Science of Reading Symposium, and has co-presented at the Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant convening. Snyder shares her deep knowledge in technology, UFLI, and data-analysis through mentoring student teachers, modeling lessons for colleagues and participating on the school’s professional learning community committee. 

Community-Centered: After school, Snyder provides reading help to students in need. She is a fixture in Nenana's tight-knit community, building strong relationships with students and their families. In addition to her organization of field trips, Snyder coordinates a monthly literacy café event for students and parents. 

Education: Snyder earned her bachelor's degree in early childhood (PK-4) and special education (PK-12) in 2014 from King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and her Master of Education in literacy from American College of Education in 2021. 

The Milken Educator Award Reaps Lifelong Benefits 

• The $25,000 cash Award is unrestricted. Recipients have used the money in diverse ways. Some recipients have spent the funds on their children's or their own continuing education, financing dream field trips, establishing scholarships, and even adopting children.
• Honorees receive powerful mentorship opportunities for expanded leadership roles that strengthen education practice and policy. Milken Friends Forever (MFF) pairs a new recipient with a veteran Milken Educator mentor; the Expanding MFF Resource and Explorer Program fosters individual veteran Milken Educator partnerships around specific topic areas; and Activating Milken Educators promotes group collaboration in and across states to bring solutions to pressing educational needs.
• The honorees attend an all-expenses-paid Milken Educator Awards Forum in Los Angeles in April 2025, where they will network with their new colleagues as well as veteran Milken Educators and other education leaders about how to broaden their impact on K-12 education.
• Veteran Milken Educators demonstrate a wide range of leadership roles at state, national and international levels. 

Follow the Milken Educator Awards tour and use the #MEA3K and #MilkenAward hashtags on: Facebook (MilkenEducatorAwards)| X (Milken)| YouTube (MilkenAward)| Instagram (MilkenFamilyFdn)| LinkedIn (MilkenFamilyFdn)| TikTok (MilkenAward).

Visit MilkenEducatorAwards.org or call the Milken Family Foundation at (310) 570-4772 for more information.

About the Milken Educator Awards: "The Future Belongs to the Educated"
The first Milken Educator Awards were presented by the Milken Family Foundation in 1987. Created by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken, the Awards provide public recognition and individual financial rewards of $25,000 to K-12 teachers, principals, and specialists from around the country who are furthering excellence in education. Recipients are heralded in early- to mid-career for what they have achieved and for the promise of what they will accomplish. The Milken Family Foundation celebrates more than 40 years of elevating education in America and around the world. Learn more at MFF.org. 

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