Celebrate Nation’s Educators with Taylor’s College

RISE Educator Award returns for its fourth year, continuing its mission of celebrating and honouring the nation’s educators who support students in attaining quality and equitable education. Organised by Taylor’s College and its student engagement arm, The Risers, RISE Educator Award is open for nominations from 18 March 2024 to 17 April 2024. The invitation is open to all to nominate teachers through a 100-word story submission describing the impact and difference made in the lives of their students. This year, the RISE Educator Award recipient will be rewarded a sponsorship of RM20,000 to support the teachers in their endeavours to nurture positive educational environments in their schools.

According to Josephine Tan, Campus Director of Taylor’s College, the acronym for RISE stands for Remarkable Impact in Student Education, which underscores the indispensable role that educators play in shaping the lives of students and fostering inclusive education. “Taylor’s College reaffirms our commitment to supporting educators who are driven with a purpose and inspiring impactful learning by increasing the sponsorship for RISE Educator Award.   We aim to empower teachers to further their mission, creating a ripple effect of positive change in classrooms and communities,” she said. 

RISE Educator of the Year 2023 Cikgu Kumaresan Muniandy from Sekolah Menengah Pendidikan Khas Vokasional Merbok in Kedah utilised the sponsorship from Taylor’s College to revitalise the school’s Mock House Training Center with essential household items and enhanced Projek School Enterprise Kedai Dobi OKU with industrial grade machines. These improvements are aligned with his purpose to provide equal job opportunities and are essential to ensure that special needs students are equipped, trained and empowered for employment. Another exceptional educator, Cikgu Velerie Wheelervon Primus, the recipient of RISE Educator Award 2023, spearheaded SK Bingkor’s ‘Integrated Sensory Therapy Room and Snoezelen Project’ to accommodate and benefit the special needs students with autism and ADHD as special education needs learning facilities are limited. With designated areas for multisensory experiences tailored to the students, he aims to provide a safe and nurturing space that is conducive to their overall well-being.

“These inspiring initiatives exemplify the dedication and compassion of our nation’s educators who go beyond conventional teaching methods to create meaningful experiences for their students. Through RISE Educator Award, we hope these impactful narratives serve as inspiration for educators across the nation and around the world. After all, behind every purpose-driven educator is a story of perseverance, resilience and unwavering commitment to nurturing minds.  We encourage everyone to join us in celebrating and recognising our educators and their efforts to amplify their endeavours and continue to inspire impactful learning," Josephine Tan continued. 

RISE Educator Award recognises inspiring educators, where the public nominates teachers in national, private and international pre, primary and secondary schools in the nation who demonstrate exceptional dedication in their schooling community. From the nominations, 10 impactful teachers will be shortlisted, which will then be posted on Taylor’s College social media platforms to be open for public voting. The five teachers with the most votes will proceed to the finals, with public votes contributing 25% to the final decision. These stories will then be evaluated by a panel of judges, including Chan Soon Seng, who leads Teach For Malaysia, and Cikgu Kumaresan Muniandy, RISE Educator of the Year 2023. The panel will assess the effort and impact of the teacher's contributions, contributing 75% to determine the RISE Educator Award 2024 recipient. 

In addition to the grand prize of RM20,000 for the winning school, the RISE Educator Award 2024 recipient will walk away with RM5,000 and the nominator will take home RM500 in cash prize. The four other finalists will each receive RM10,000 sponsorship for their schools and receive an RM1,000 cash prize, while the nominator will receive RM250. 

Nominations for the RISE Educator Award 2024 are open from 18 March 2024 to 17 April 2024. The 10 shortlisted stories will be announced on 22 April 2024 for public voting. To find out more about RISE Educator Award and to nominate an educator, please visit https://college.taylors.edu.my/en/the-risers/rise-educator-award-2024.html.