The Heart of Education Awards to Return for Second Year at the Smith Center

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts and The Rogers Foundation have announced the return of The Heart of Education Awards for its second year. Following a highly successful inaugural year which resulted in the recognition of more than 800 educators from Clark County School District (CCSD), The Heart of Education Awards will return to Reynolds Hall on April 29, 2017. For more information, visit TheHeartOfEducation.org.

The purpose of The Heart of Education Awards is to honor teachers who have gone above and beyond for their students and schools. The nomination period has begun and will continue to run through Jan. 31, 2017. Nomination forms are now available at TheHeartOfEducation.org. Anyone can nominate a great teacher. All submissions will be reviewed by a group of community leaders, education experts, sponsors and The Smith Center staff.

"Last year we had the tremendous opportunity to honor and celebrate more than 800 Clark County School District educators here at The Smith Center for the positive impact they have had on our students in Las Vegas," said MyRon Martin, President and CEO of The Smith Center. "It is with great joy that we will partner with the district and The Rogers Foundation on this event for the second year, building upon last year's program launch and discovering and recognizing more teachers for their valued efforts and contributions to our community."

It is a shared goal of The Smith Center and The Rogers Foundation to continue to recognize the unsung heroes of this community for their endless efforts to educate and inspire the youth for many years to come.

"We were overwhelmed by the immense amount of support the community showed for last year's event and the stories shared by our nominees," said Beverly Rogers, Chairman of the Board of The Rogers Foundation. "We are delighted to continue to share our passion for education with individuals throughout the valley through this program, and we look forward to spotlighting several new, deserving educators from our community at The Heart of Education Awards in April."

The second annual Heart of Education Awards will recognize finalists at a gala event in Reynolds Hall. Taking place on April 29, 2017 at The Smith Center, the event will precede Teacher Appreciation Week, and will include a red carpet arrival, special performances and much more. Twenty winners will each receive a gift of $5,000 and a commemorative Heart of Education trophy. Additionally, each winner's school will receive a cash prize of $1,000 to be used for a program selected by the winning teacher. Expanding on their support from last year's inaugural event, the Las Vegas Review-Journal will award three People's Choice Awards, amounting to $10,000 ($5,000 for First Place, $3,000 for Second Place and $2,000 for Third Place).

"Our teachers work tirelessly on behalf of our students and many of them go the extra mile to ensure students have all their needs met beyond the classroom and school hours," said Clark County School District Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky. "I want to thank The Rogers Foundation, The Smith Center and all the sponsors for helping us celebrate and acknowledge the amazing work of our teachers."

The Heart of Education is powered by The Rogers Foundation. Intended as a community wide support mechanism for educators, The Heart of Education Awards welcomes sponsorship opportunities to further engage transformation in our schools. To pledge your support, contact Tanja Brennan at 702-749-2342 or TBrennan@TheSmithCenter.com.

For more information about The Heart of Education Awards and to submit an application or nomination, visit TheHeartofEducation.org.

The hallmark of downtown Las Vegas' 61-acre urban development known as Symphony Park, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts is a public-private partnership that opened in March 2012. Heralded as the city's Heart of the Arts, The Smith Center is an architectural triumph and long-awaited cultural achievement that educates and entertains the citizens of Southern Nevada. The $470 million world-class performing arts center offers a blend of performances by resident companies, first-run touring attractions, lectures and internationally-acclaimed performers in music, theater and dance. The five-acre campus features four performance spaces including the 2,050-seat Reynolds Hall, the 258-seat Cabaret Jazz club, the 240-seat Troesh Studio Theater and the 1.7-acre Donald W. Reynolds Symphony Park for outdoor concerts. Additionally, the campus is home to the Discovery Children's Museum that opened in March 2013. For more information about The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, please visit www.TheSmithCenter.com. Keep up with news and events on Facebook and follow The Smith Center on Twitter at @SmithCenterLV.

The Rogers Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Founded in 2013 by Jim and Beverly Rogers, The Rogers Foundation awards scholarships to individual students in Southern Nevada, grants to educational institutions in Southern Nevada, and support for artists and organizations that support the arts in Southern Nevada. Founded and based in Southern Nevada, The Rogers Foundation can be contacted at 702.657.3114 or online at www.TheRogers.Foundation.

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