Flores among honored at Herb Kohl at award luncheon on April 22 in Chippewa Falls

MILWAUKEE — A luncheon to honor the achievements of north central and northwest Wisconsin students, teachers, and principals was held Sunday, April 22, at Chippewa Falls Middle School in Chippewa Falls. The event is sponsored by the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation.

Among those honored with an Herb Kohl Educational Foundation 2018 Initiative Scholarships is Jaden Flores of Elk Mound.

On March 20, the foundation announced the 2018 recipients of Initiative Scholarships, Excellence Scholarships, teacher Fellowships and principal Leadership Awards. The April 22 luncheon will recognize the accomplishments of the area’s outstanding students, educators, and administrators. Twenty-five teacher Fellowship recipients, 16 Excellence Scholarship recipients, 20 Initiative Scholarship recipients, and two principal Leadership Award recipients will be honored. Kim Marggraf, spokesperson for the Herb Kohl Foundation, said that Herb Kohl, representatives of co-sponsoring organizations — the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Wisconsin Council of Religious and Independent Schools, Wisconsin Cooperative Educational Service Agencies, Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation, Wisconsin Parents Association, Association of Wisconsin School Administrators — and the families and friends of north central and northwest Wisconsin award recipients will be part of this program.

The Herb Kohl Foundation Excellence Scholarship was established by Herb Kohl to provide scholarships to graduating Wisconsin high school students who have demonstrated academic excellence, outstanding leadership, citizenship, community service, integrity, and other special talents. In addition to the 13 Excellence Scholars from northwest and north central Wisconsin in CESAs 4, 10, 11, and 12, three students from CESA 5 will also attend the luncheon and award program. The Herb Kohl Initiative Scholarship was established to recognize students who have demonstrated a high level of motivation to achieve, have shown strong promise for achieving success in college and beyond, have overcome significant personal obstacles or adversity, and have not yet received other academic-based scholarships.

The Herb Kohl Foundation Fellowship rewards teachers who have demonstrated superior ability to inspire love of learning in their students, have motivated others, and have provided meritorious service both inside and outside the classroom. The Herb Kohl Leadership Award recognizes school principals who have set high standards for instruction, achievement and character, and created a climate to best serve students, families, staff, and community.

“Herb Kohl will be making formal award presentations to the recipients at the luncheon,” Marggraf said. The Herb Kohl Foundation will issue the $10,000 Excellence and Initiative scholarships to the postsecondary institution that each student will attend. Each teacher and principal will receive a $6,000 Fellowship and an additional $6,000 grant will be awarded to the teacher’s and principal’s school for use in innovative educational projects. The Kohl Educational Foundation awards program was established by Herb Kohl in 1990. To date the foundation has provided $14.5 million to Wisconsin educators, students, and schools. The foundation annually awards approximately 200 scholarships, 100 teacher fellowships, and 16 principal awards throughout the state.

“We are so grateful that Wisconsin is home to such a visionary philanthropist who is rewarding excellence in education so generously,” said Wisconsin Council of Religious and Independent Schools Executive Director Sharon Schmeling.

“Herb Kohl and the Kohl Foundation are pillars of the Wisconsin education community,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers, who will attend the luncheon. “Through his generous awards, Herb Kohl strengthens the commitment of teachers and school leaders to their work and provides the opportunity for students to continue their learning. Wisconsin is a better place thanks in part to Herb Kohl.”

“Education is the key to the future of Wisconsin and our nation. I am very proud of the accomplishments of these students and look forward to the great contributions they will make in the future. They’ll make many sacrifices to achieve their educational goals, and I want to help them succeed,” Kohl said.