Celebrate Education

What is Celebrate Education?

Celebrate Education is an annual event honoring local teachers, principals, coaches and volunteers for their continuous hard work and dedication to our community’s students. During the event, grants are awarded to exceptional educators for special programs they conduct in the classroom, on the field and after school. 

Since Celebrate Education began in 2005, there has been a total of $743,690 (as of 2024) awarded to educators in the Oshkosh community. Before 2005, Celebrate Education was known as the NET Awards-Nurturing Education and Teaching. From 1997 to 2004 the NET Awards granted approximately $90,890 to various school programs.

WHO SPONSORS THIS EVENT?

The following community supporters make the grants and awards possible: Oshkosh Area School District Education Foundation, Mid-Morning Kiwanis Club of Oshkosh, Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, Oshkosh Southwest Rotary, Edward and Belle Rudoy Endowment Fund, UW-Oshkosh College of Education and Human Services, and Oshkosh Area Community Foundation. By partnering together, we are able to award thousands of dollars in grants to educators whose programs make a difference in the lives of our children.

DR. STANLEY J. SPANBAUER EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP AWARD (LOURDES ACADEMY):

  • Don Hansen

MID-MORNING KIWANIS CLUB OF OSHKOSH CELEBRATE EDUCATION GRANTS:

  • Caroline Boettcher, Jefferson Elementary School

  • Krista Frenz, Vel Phillips Middle School

  • Kabel Helmbrecht, Oshkosh Area School District Recreation Department

  • Nikki Knitt, Valley Christian School

  • Meghan Neveau, Valley Christian School

  • Becky Piechowski, Lourdes Academy Elementary School

  • Julie Runde, Carl Traeger Elementary School

  • Jessica Sims, Oshkosh Area School District

  • Traci Soeller, Oshkosh Area School District

  • Kristine Steinhilber, Oshkosh West High School

  • Sara Vollbrecht, Jefferson Elementary School

  • Melissa Zielke, Oshkosh Area School District

OSHKOSH AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION CELEBRATE EDUCATION GRANTS:
 

  • Nicole Bouzek, Oshkosh West High School

  • Jacqueline Brown, Jefferson Elementary School

  • William Brydon, Oshkosh West High School

  • Amanda Campos, Valley Christian School

  • Amber Clark, Valley Christian School

  • Nicole Dahlke, Lourdes Academy of Oshkosh

  • Michelle Dorn, Franklin Elementary School

  • Beth Freund, Valley Christian School

  • Kara Hartkopf, Oaklawn Elementary School

  • Teresa Hass, Valley Christian School

  • Katie Hofmeister, Lourdes Academy Middle School

  • Kelly King, Oshkosh North High School

  • Kari Koerner, Emmeline Cook Elementary School

  • Bethany Lang, Lourdes Academy Elementary School

  • Rebekah Lehman, Valley Christian School

  • Hannah Lehocky, Franklin Elementary School

  • Brooke Neese, Lourdes Academy Elementary School

  • Tracy Nyman, Carl Traeger Elementary School

  • Jesse Peterson, Valley Christian School

  • Erin Pletcher, Valley Christian School

  • Robyn Skaar, Lourdes Academy Elementary School

  • Jaime Thompson, Roosevelt Elementary School

  • Rebecca Thompson, Elementary School

  • Liz VanHeuklon, Carl Traeger Elementary School

 

OSHKOSH AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION INTEGRATED TEACHING AWARDS:

  • Hugh McWane and Melanie Wroblewski, Carl Traeger Middle School
  • Jennifer Turner, South Park Middle School
 

OSHKOSH AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT EDUCATION FOUNDATION GRANTS:

  • Elizabeth Armstrong, Merrill Elementary School
  • Jason Cummings, Oshkosh North High School
  • Kathleen Erickson, Oshkosh North High School
  • Andrea Fisher, True Academy
  • Lisa Graf, Vel Phillips Middle School
  • Marshall Morrin, Oshkosh Area School District
  • Kayley Murphy, Oakwood Elementary School
  • Cheryl Pagel, Oshkosh North High School
  • Alyssa Solowicz, Webster Stanley Elementary School
  • Emily Sopata, Carl Traeger Elementary School
  • Heidi Wara, Carl Traeger Elementary School
  • Melanie, Wroblewski, Carl Traeger Middle School
  • Kevin Wacholz,  True Academy
  • Dana Zander, Oshkosh Area School District
 

RUDOY OUTSTANDING HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER AWARDS:

  • Don Dineen, Lourdes Academy High School

  • Max Harvey, Oshkosh North High School

  • Nicole Jonas, Valley Christian High School

  • Nadine Mohline, Valley Christian High School

  • Haley Murphy, Oshkosh West High School

  • Pam O’Loughlin, Oshkosh North High School

  • Josh Peel, Valley Christian High School

  • Cara Wessley, Oshkosh West High School

 

RUDOY TECHNOLOGY GRANT:

  • Oshkosh North School 
 

SPIRIT OF EDUCATION AWARD (OSHKOSH AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT):

  •  Jennifer Skolaski

UWO COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN SERVICES TEACHER EXCELLENCE AWARDS:

  • Olivia Hoopman, Roosevelt Elementary School
  • Sarah Kroll, Oakwood Elementary School
  • Sarah Welsh, Carl Traeger Elementary School

Learn about some of these programs by clicking on the videos below:

 

Read about some of these programs by clicking on the links below:

 

3D printer inspires future designers and technicians 

STEM classroom creates young engineers

Butterflies bring learning to life