Could You or Someone You Know Be TeachKind’s 2025 Teacher of the Year? Enter Now!
Please note: This contest is now over. Check out TeachKind’s 2025 Teacher of the Year winners and runners-up and get ready to be inspired!
National Teacher Appreciation Month is coming up in May, and TeachKind is looking for our next Teacher of the Year to celebrate!
Do you or does someone you know teach young people to be kind to animals? If so, we want to hear from you! Nominate yourself, a friend, a colleague, a teacher at your child’s school, or any other educator who speaks up for animals through their work. Need some inspiration? Check out last year’s inspiring winner and runners-up.
Update: The deadline to enter has been extended to Friday, April 11, but don’t delay!
What does TeachKind look for when selecting the winner of its Teacher of the Year Contest?
When it comes to teaching children to be kind to animals, there’s more than one way to peel a potato! Some teachers facilitate their school’s animal protection club or organize fundraisers to benefit their local animal shelter. Others have their students research animal rights issues, like experimenting on animals or the negative effects of animal agriculture on the environment, and form persuasive arguments in favor of compassionate solutions to these problems. Maybe you use lifelike models such as Kind Frog or digital dissection tools instead of dead animals to help your students study the inner workings of other species. Or perhaps you show animal rights documentaries as part of your curriculum to develop students’ critical thinking skills. Don’t be shy! However you teach kindness, you’re making the world a better place for all sentient beings—and we want to hear about it. You could be the inspiration or the nudge another educator needs to make a change and choose compassion themselves.
How do I nominate myself or someone else for TeachKind’s Teacher of the Year Contest?
TeachKind’s Teacher of the Year Contest closes on Friday, April 11, so be sure to nominate yourself or another educator before then by filling out the form below. Let us know how your nominee has demonstrated compassion for animals or otherwise taken action to help them this school year. Once you finish filling out the form, keep an eye out for an e-mail from us—we may have a few follow-up questions for you.
We’ll choose one winner and up to three runners-up by assessing the responses to the question at the end of the form and selecting the entries with the most inspiring responses.
What will the winner of TeachKind’s Teacher of the Year Contest receive?
The winning teacher will receive an exciting collection of prizes, including the Hajo backpack from Ucon Acrobatics, an artisanal vegan cheese box from Rebel Cheese, Dr. Spray’s Healthy Immune Pack, a humane bug catcher, a custom tote bag, and a vegan cookbook.
Enter Now!
Please note: This contest is now over. Check back soon to read about the winner and runners-up!
Here’s some info on the compassionate companies that are providing this year’s prizes:
- Ucon Acrobatics creates durable bags that are crafted sustainably and are kind to humans, animals, and the environment.
- Rebel Cheese offers hand-crafted artisanal dairy-free cheeses that elevate the traditional charcuterie experience.
- Dr. Spray’s provides advanced nutrition in a convenient spray.
The contest is open to U.S. residents only. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. PETA will select nominees for further consideration based on the information provided on the form above. The winner will be chosen by TeachKind based on their enthusiasm for animal rights and their work incorporating messages of kindness to animals into their classroom. The winner will receive the Hajo backpack from Ucon Acrobatics, an artisanal vegan cheese box from Rebel Cheese, Dr. Spray’s Healthy Immune Pack, a humane bug catcher, a custom tote bag, and a vegan cookbook. The winner and up to three runners-up will all receive an animal-friendly gift box designed especially for teachers as well as a certificate of appreciation for their kindness to animals and will be featured on the TeachKind website. They will be chosen by Friday, April 25, 2025, and contacted via e-mail.
May is National Teacher Appreciation Month, and each year, TeachKind awards one top teacher for their engaging and empathy-boosting pedagogy. In honor of the endless ways that educators change the world, please join us in celebrating the winners and runners-up of our 2025 Teacher of the Year Contest. We heard from educators across the U.S. … Read more »
🚀 BREAKING NEWS! 🚀 UPDATE (June 2, 2025): The CLASS Act has soared through the Assembly with resounding bipartisan support and is now charging forward to the Senate! This could be a game-changer—stay tuned for the next chapter in this legislative journey! 🎉🏛️ Great news for animals and science education! The CLASS Act (Compassionate Learning … Read more »
Pop quiz: Name a cruel, antiquated practice from nearly 100 years ago that many schools still take part in today. If your answer was holding “donkey basketball” events, give yourself a gold star! Events Like Donkey Basketball Are Cruel Donkey ball events, a cruel and potentially dangerous form of fundraising dating back to the Great … Read more »
Celebrate holidays all year round with holiday writing prompts designed for students of all grade levels. These prompts will inspire students to enjoy writing while reflecting on the important connection between humans and animals, fostering empathy and understanding. As we delve deeper into understanding animals, we discover reflections of ourselves in these sentient individuals. Encouraging … Read more »
