Organizations supporting educators

I confess that a few months ago, I really didn’t understand the difference between the NEA, The NEA Foundation and the NEA Member Benefits! I didn’t know the important difference between Pearson and the Pearson Foundation or really who the Horace Mann Companies were.

So why do I care now?

Well, the Salute to Excellence in Education is jointly organized by the NEA Foundation and the NEA with support from NEA Member Benefits, the Horace Mann Companies and the Pearson Foundation.

I wanted to learn how these organizations help education and how teachers like me could access their support, information and resources. I thought that blogging it for my readers would also help at least one teacher connect to a resource or program of interest. So here goes….

You can go straight to the websites to become a quick expert!

The NEA Foundation



Site: http://www.neafoundation.org/

The NEA Foundation is not for profit, but is "definitely for the advancement of both educators and their students."

Check out the NEA Foundation site to connect with powerful initiatives that help teachers learn and innovate, gain knowledge, grants and resources to inspire excellence in the classroom. The Foundation has a blog and many opportunities to receive funding for exciting initiatives. Make sure to visit the site!

The NEA



Want a lesson plan, clarification on policy or maybe even apply for a grant? Here’s the site for you. (http://www.nea.org/home/2580.htm)

The NEA has 3.2 million members who believe that “every student in America, regardless of family income or place of residence, deserves a quality education.” Members include teachers, educational support professionals, higher education faculty, and retired educators and students members.

The NEA site contains information about how the NEA leadership represents teachers’ collective voice, how educators share ideas and thoughts in the EdVoices blog, information on classroom management, educational policy, technology and more. Go to this site every day for ideas and inspiration!

The NEA Member Benefits



Site: (http://www.neamb.com/home/ns/788.htm)

There are 3.2 million members of the NEA who have this organization to thank for finding them the best services available. Here’s a synopsis for the website:

“We strive to help all members increase their economic security through financial services, insurance programs and investment advice. We want to maximize members’ hard-earned dollars through consumer discounts and special travel and leisure offers. We also offer resources designed to help educators in the classroom—from professional development services to discounts on instructional materials.”

In short: this is a great site for you to go to look for all kinds of personal and financial information. Sort of a “one-stop-shop” for benefits. Check it out!

The Horace Mann Companies



Site: (http://www.horacemann.com/teacher-lounge)

The Horace Mann Companies offer insurance, annuities, mutual funds and college savings with special benefits for teachers. The site listed above directs you the “Teachers Lounge” where teachers can find out how to partner with Horace Mann to implement their dream projects by connecting with donors, how to apply for fellowships and more! There are even lesson plans and project ideas from the company’s “Reach every child” initiative!

The Pearson Foundation:


Site: (http://www.pearsonfoundation.org/our-business-and-society/index.html).

This site is chock full of information about exciting initiatives related to literacy, teacher quality and youth engagement. Check out the site to learn about The Pearson Prize, The Peace Jam, Pennies for Peace and You Media. The site is rich in videos and information.

The Pearson Foundation is the organization that sent their digital arts trainers to my classroom to make a video about teaching and to present my colleagues at Northern Highlands with a mobile device training experience. The Pearson Foundation is the nonprofit division of Pearson, which is an international media company “with 37,000 employees in more than 60 countries.”

There! Hope this review helps one of you access some of the wonderful information and resources out there. If you are not a teacher, maybe you might know one who could use this information to support their work and dreams.