COLUMBUS — In recognition of National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 3-7, and the contributions of our educators over the past year’s COVID-19 pandemic, Western Governors University Ohio (WGU Ohio) is offering $4,000 Teacher Appreciation Scholarships to help make the dream of teaching more accessible for aspiring teachers. This opportunity is for prospective teachers who want to earn their teaching certification as well as current educators ready to advance their careers.

“It takes a special kind of person to prepare today’s young minds for tomorrow’s challenges, and the heroic efforts by our teachers over the past year deserve extra thanks,” said K.L. Allen, chancellor of WGU Ohio. “Educators are among our nation’s most crucial professionals, and they deserve our thanks for their sacrifice and determination despite the many disruptions the pandemic has brought to education this year.”

Allen said WGU Ohio feels a special connection to teachers as the nonprofit, online university has helped a number of Ohioans earn accredited education degrees and teaching licenses since 1997. “We are proud of the Ohio educators who are fulfilling their dreams of helping students learn, dreams made possible l thanks to our flexible, online Teachers College, which has allowed them to advance in their careers and study on their own schedules,” he said.

As part of its National Teacher Appreciation Week observance, WGU Ohio is also delivering Teacher Appreciation Kits to a number of K‑12 schools across the state and is donating school supplies to many nonprofit organizations in Ohio that support educators.

WGU was established in 1997 by a partnership of 19 state governors to offer students, particularly adult learners, the chance to go to college while working and caring for their families. In 2018, Ohio became the eighth additional state to partner with WGU, part of efforts by policymakers to close Ohio’s skills gap with a new pathway for adults to seek careers in such in-demand careers as teaching, healthcare and nursing, business, and information technology.

More information is available at www.wgu.edu/wgulovesteachers.