NEW YORK – PEOPLE magazine today announced its second annual “Teacher of the Year” Awards (#teacherofyear), which honors six extraordinary teachers who are changing the lives of their students and paving the way for a new generation of American leaders. The winners will be featured in the October 28, 2013 issue of PEOPLE and will receive $5000 ($4000 for their schools and $1000 for themselves). The contest is presented by Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats, a brand that is committed to helping kids reach their full potential each school day and is honored to recognize the important role that teachers play in achieving that mission.

Educators may enter to become one of the six PEOPLE Teachers of the Year. PEOPLE is looking for current pre-K through 12th grade instructors who most inspire their students to achieve; who have changed a community for the better; and who have found innovative ways to overcome challenges in the classroom. The editors of PEOPLE, with guidance from an all-star advisory board, will select five winning teachers. A sixth teacher will be chosen with input from readers at PEOPLE.com who can vote beginning August 15. For details and to download an application form, visit PEOPLE.com/TeacherOfYear.

PEOPLE’s 2013 “Teacher of the Year” advisory board members:

Jennifer Bohn – One of PEOPLE’s 2012 Teachers of the Year. Coordinator of the International Baccalaureate program at Maynard Evans High School in Orlando, Florida. An 18-year veteran at Evans, Bohn teaches Leadership Development to at-risk students. As an adviser for the BETA club, a group that teaches leadership skills, Bohn helped her students publish a 138-page book, Everyone Has a Story to Tell, a collection of interviews of 30 homeless people from the area.

Dr. John Deasy – Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second largest. Prior to joining the LAUSD in August 2010, he served as Deputy Director of Education for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he led the programmatic work on effective teaching.

Lily Eskelsen – A sixth-grade teacher from Utah and Vice President of the more than three million-member National Education Association. She was named by President Obama to serve as a commissioner on the White House Commission on Education Excellence for Hispanics.

Wendy Kopp – Founder and chair of Teach For America, which has enlisted 33,000 new graduates to commit two years of teaching in low-income communities and to become lifelong leaders for educational excellence and equity. She is also Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Teach For All, a global network of independent social enterprises which are similarly working to expand educational opportunity.

John Legend – Grammy-winning recording artist and philanthropist. He is the founder of the Show Me Campaign, an organization that works to break the cycle of poverty through education.

Otha Thornton – President-elect of National PTA. He is a senior operations analyst with General Dynamics in Fort Stewart, Georgia. He is a retired United States Army Lieutenant Colonel and his last two assignments were with the White House Communications Agency and United States Forces-Iraq in Baghdad. Thornton earned the Bronze Star Medal for exceptional performance in combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom 2009-2010.

“Great educators influence the lives of their students in positive ways and give us hope for the future,” said PEOPLE Managing Editor Larry Hackett. “PEOPLE once again is honored to recognize teachers who inspire us with their dedication and innovation.”

“Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats is proud to sponsor PEOPLE’s Teacher of the Year Awards for the second year in a row. We believe helping kids reach their full potential each school day is important, and we are honored to be able to recognize the dedicated teachers who share in that mission with us,” said Doug VanDeVelde, senior vice president, Morning Foods from Kellogg Company.

For details and to download an application form, visit PEOPLE.com/TeacherOfYear.

About PEOPLE

PEOPLE revolutionized personality journalism in 1974; today it is the world’s most successful and popular magazine. Each week, the PEOPLE brand brings more than 53 million consumers the latest news, exclusive interviews and in-depth reporting on the most compelling people of our time. In addition to unparalleled access to the entertainment community, the stories of real-life “Heroes Among Us” remain an essential component of PEOPLE’s editorial approach. PEOPLE.com is the premier web destination for celebrity news, photos, style and entertainment coverage. With reporters across the globe, PEOPLE is headquartered in New York City. For more information visit www.PEOPLE.com.

About Kellogg Company

At Kellogg Company (NYSE: K), we are driven to enrich and delight the world through foods and brands that matter. With 2012 sales of $14.2 billion, Kellogg is the world’s leading cereal company; second largest producer of cookies, crackers and savory snacks; and a leading North American frozen foods company. Every day, our well-loved brands nourish families so they can flourish and thrive. These brands include Kellogg’s, Keebler, Special K, Pringles, Frosted Flakes, Pop-Tarts, Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, Kashi, Cheez-It, Eggo, Coco Pops, Mini-Wheats, and many more. Because we believe in the power of breakfast, we focus our philanthropic efforts global hunger relief through our Breakfasts for Better Days initiative, providing 1 billion servings of cereal and snacks – more than half of which are breakfasts – to children and families in need by the end of 2016. To learn more about our responsible business leadership, foods that delight and how we strive to make a difference in our communities around the world, visit www.kelloggcompany.com.

Contacts:

Kathryn Brenner, 212.522.6300 kathryn_brenner@peoplemag.com
Julie Farin, 212.522.6300 julie_farin@peoplemag.com