RISE Educator Award is back again to celebrate and honour some of the nation’s most inspiring educators. Now in its third year, the RISE Educator Award, organised by Taylor’s College and its student engagement arm, The Risers, looks to reward RM10,000 each to the Top Five Finalists who are making a difference in the nation’s education ecosystem to support students in attaining quality and equitable education across various communities.
The RISE Educator Award, an acronym for Remarkable Impact in Student Education, is now open for nomination from March 1 to 31. Nominations are open to all participants via a 100-word story submission describing the inspiring actions their teachers have taken to impact their students’ education, particularly in achieving quality and accessibility.
With over 180 submissions garnered last year for the RISE Educator Award, the campaign received many compelling and moving stories of selfless and passionate teachers who go above and beyond their line of duty to ensure their students are protected for their rights to a quality and accessible education.
Understanding the importance of education in shaping the minds of future leaders, innovators and citizens, Taylor’s College will be awarding RM10,000 each to the top five finalists, including the RISE Educator of the Year and RISE Educator Award winners, to support these teachers in their endeavours to create a positive impact on Malaysia’s education ecosystem by ensuring quality education for all children in the nation.
“As an education institution, we believe that we play a pivotal role in supporting various stakeholders with the country’s nation-building agenda, especially in ensuring equitable and quality access to education for all students. To this, Taylor’s College is committed to optimising and supporting the nation’s education ecosystem to build better infrastructure and facilities for their schools,” said Josephine Tan, the Taylor’s College Campus director.
She further shared that the RISE Educator Award, which is an initiative under the Risers’ “Engage, Equip and Empower” movement, is aligned with the institution’s mission to be the best university in the world.
“We will continue with our focus to build positive school culture, community, and identity by promoting positive values, skills, and knowledge outlined in Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to receive a quality education, and it is through the efforts of our exceptional teachers that we can make this a reality. That’s why we are committed to supporting and celebrating these dedicated educators through the RISE Educator Award and offering them the necessities they need to support their endeavours.”
Last year’s RISE Educator of the Year winner, Cikgu Hazeem Azemi, made an outstanding contribution to education by bridging the digital knowledge divide between rural and urban students. As a teacher in a rural school, Cikgu Hazeem observed the disparity and took action to create SMK Kuala Krau’s OKU Multimedia Studio, the first multimedia studio in Malaysia specifically designed for specially-abled and Orang Asli students.
The lab, equipped with gaming chairs and tables, computers, and accessories, provides a fun and motivating environment for students to learn essential IT skills such as video and photo editing, game-based learning, and broadcasting. Cikgu Hazeem’s innovative approach to education showcases his commitment to quality education for all and has inspired other educators to follow in his footsteps.
The award recognises inspiring educators with the RISE Educator Award, where the public can nominate the most inspiring stories of teachers in national, private and international pre-, primary and secondary schools in the nation. Five finalists will be chosen from the entries and have their stories posted on Taylor’s College and Taylor’s University social media platforms for the public to vote on the winners.
The teacher of the winning entry will walk away with RM2,000, while the nominator will also take home RM500 in cash prizes. The award’s panel of judges will choose the grand champion for the RISE Educator of the Year title, where the winner will be awarded RM5,000 for the teacher and RM500 for the nominator.
Winners of the RISE Educator Award will be announced in May, to coincide with the country’s national Teacher’s Day. For more information, please visit Taylor’s College’s website.
