Foundation's 2025 Diamond Educator Award Recognizes Top Lakota Gems

The Northern Cincinnati Foundation, in partnership with Lakota Local Schools and Phelan Insurance Agency, is accepting nominations for recipients of the 2025 “Lakota Diamond Educator Award.” Nominations are due Friday, April 11 and four honorees will be announced the first full week of May during “Teacher Appreciation Week.”

Formerly known as the “Lakota Educator of Excellence Award,” the new name establishes a connection to Lakota’s new Lakota Gem Award, which celebrates outstanding staff all year long. Recipients of the top “Lakota Diamond Educator Award” may have received a gem award, but are not required to be among former gem recipients. Rather, they must exemplify all six facets, or categories, of the Lakota gems that the District awards on a monthly basis: 

• Sapphire of Student Support - Values strong relationships and the importance of meeting students' individual academic, social and emotional needs.
• Beacon of Positivity - Radiates positive energy and promotes a welcoming culture that celebrates and respects differences. 
• Brilliant Innovator - Uses creativity to create dynamic experiences for students and staff, solve problems and allocate available resources wisely.
• Polished Team Player - Embraces the power of community and collaboration to lift one another up and work together for the best possible results.
• Gem of Growth - A lifelong learner who values feedback and has a growth mindset for continuous professional improvement.
• A Cut Above the Rest - Shines in their area of expertise and goes above and beyond in their daily work.

“We have been blown away by the quantity and quality of nominees for the new Lakota Gem Award,” said Lakota Superintendent Ashley Whitely. “It’s been an exciting program to watch unfold this year, so we are especially excited to continue the tradition of the Foundation’s top educator award using the same criteria. The recipients of the ‘Lakota Diamond Educator Award’ will exemplify all the outstanding facets we value in our staff.” 

“The Northern Cincinnati Foundation is proud to partner with Lakota Schools and Phelan Insurance to honor outstanding educators at Lakota,” said Northern Cincinnati Foundation President & CEO Erin Satzger. “Dedicated teachers and staff not only uplift students, but they also help create a strong school system and a vibrant community where everyone benefits.”

Outstanding educators can be nominated to receive this honor by students, colleagues, parents or any community member who wishes to acknowledge an educator’s exceptional effort during the last school year. Like Lakota’s Gem Award, nominees are not limited to classroom teachers and can include any administrator or support staff member. 

Two monetary awards, made possible by the generous sponsorship from Phelan Insurance Agency, will be presented: one to a teacher from the elementary level (PreK-6) and another to a teacher from the secondary level (7-12). These winners will receive a $1,000 grant to be used for a special project at their school. 

The third and fourth non-monetary awards will be presented to a Lakota administrator and support staff member who has shown extraordinary commitment to the students and teachers of Lakota Local Schools.

All nominations must include at least two additional support letters in addition to the one submitted by the person filling out the nomination form. Winners are chosen by a committee of representatives from Lakota Local Schools and the Northern Cincinnati Foundation.  

The original “Lakota Educator of Excellence Award” was established in 2007 to recognize educators in the Lakota School District who demonstrate consistency and high commitment to students. These individuals motivate, share ideas, inspire, support, create and go above and beyond to make a difference in their school community and the Lakota District.

Nominations are due Friday, April 11.  Visit http://bit.ly/educatorofexcellence to submit a nomination form. Questions may be directed to Karen Gibbs at the Northern Cincinnati Foundation – karen.gibbs@wclfoundation.org or 513.682.8061.