The NEA Foundation has announced the names of the five public school educators from across the country who will receive the Horace Mann Awards for Teaching Excellence – including Reva Lobatos, a second-grade teacher in Fremont County School District 25 in Riverton.
Each 2025 honoree will receive $10,000 and is a finalist for the NEA Member Benefits Award, according to a press release from the NEA Foundation, which says Lobatos was nominated by the Wyoming Education Association.
Lobatos will receive her award during the Salute to Excellence in Education Gala on Feb. 14, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
The event will also include the premiere screening of documentary films about the awardees’ teaching practices and impact in their school communities.
Other recipients of the 2025 Horace Mann Awards for Teaching Excellence are:
-Jacqueline Brown, a high school business and technology educator at Okolona High School in Okolona, Mississippi, nominated by the Mississippi Association of Educators
-Matthew Hamilton, a sixth- and seventh-grade social studies educator at East Jordan Public Schools, in East Jordan, Michigan, nominated by the Michigan Education Association
-Joe Nappi, a high school and university social studies educator at Monmouth Regional High School in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, nominated by the New Jersey Education Association
-Maribel Vilchez, a third-grade educator at Lydia Hawk Elementary School in Lacey, Washington, nominated by the Washington Education Association
The awardees were selected by an expert panel and evaluated based on excellence in the classroom, dedication to equity and diversity, engagement with families and communities, commitment to professional development, and advocacy for the teaching profession, the press release states.
“The educators we are recognizing today exemplify the dedication and innovation necessary to inspire youth and build authentic connections,” NEA Foundation President and CEO Sara A. Sneed said. “Their commitments to fostering inclusive and equitable learning environments are truly commendable. We are absolutely thrilled to celebrate them and their fellow educators at the Salute to Excellence in Education in February.”
Marita Zuraitis, president of the Horace Mann Educators Foundation Board of Directors, said the educators receiving the Horace Mann Awards “embody the commitment to helping every child reach their full potential.”
“As a steadfast supporter of public education, The Horace Mann Educators Foundation is deeply honored to celebrate these educators for their commitments to their students and communities,” Zuraitis said.
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