Big River Teacher Award
Recognizing Excellence in Park Education
Submission Deadline: June 1, 2025
Past Award Winners
2022 - Cara Reickenberg
2023 - Megan Doerr
2024 - Katy Paquette
Each year, Mississippi Park Connection and the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area welcome applications for the Big River Teacher Award, recognizing outstanding achievement and innovation by teachers participating in and extending the park’s education programs within their classrooms or schools. The award will include a $500 honorarium and a National Park Service plaque certifying the award, and the recipient will be honored at the Big River Awards on July 10, 2025.
The Big River Teacher Award recipient exemplifies dedication and enthusiasm to improving the understanding of the Mississippi River. Each year, teachers bring their students to park education programs and extend the lessons from those field trips to their classrooms using innovative, culturally responsive, and creative teaching principles. Their lessons engage students, helping them apply learning to their daily lives in and out of the classroom. The park’s annual teaching award recognizes and honors an educator who makes a special effort to go beyond park programming to further connect their students to the river in their classrooms, whether through science, environment, history, culture, art, or other education lessons.
The award honors former park ranger and educator Lyndon Torstenson and celebrates his commitment to bringing lessons from the river into classrooms. It highlights the accomplishments of a Minnesota educator whose curriculum helps empower students to become avid learners and build a lifelong relationship with the Mississippi River.
The impact high-quality teachers have on students is extraordinary, and the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area is pleased to help motivate teachers to make a difference in the lives of all students.
ELIGIBILITY
Minnesota licensed K-12 classroom teacher in a public, private, or parochial school
Participant in any Mississippi National River and Recreation Area park program (field trip, online, workshop, etc)
Ability to demonstrate teaching that extends park programming as related to the Mississippi River in a K-12 setting
IMPORTANT NOTE ON WHO CAN COMPLETE THIS APPLICATION
THIS IS A DIRECT APPLICATION AWARD. It is assumed applicants are applying for the award themselves (known as the applicant), HOWEVER, others may complete the application for a nominee so long as their nominee is aware they are being submitted for the award. Please do not complete this application for someone else without their knowledge.
APPLICATION INFORMATION
Essay Prompts
Explain how you have extended the park's programming into your classroom. Describe details about any extended lesson or classroom work you've developed and what made it innovative, creative, culturally responsive, or engaging for students.
Please provide information demonstrating your passion for the Mississippi River and how and why it continues to be an important topic for teachers to pass on to their students. In other words, why teach about the Mississippi River?
Optional Documentation
A lesson plan related to the above prompt that shows how you extended student learning from your park experience and demonstrates your skill in innovative, culturally responsive, or creative teaching practices as related to the Mississippi River. Can be in the format of a document, PDF, spreadsheet, slide deck, or video.
A one-page letter of support from a student, teaching colleague, principal, superintendent, parent, or other peer describing your success and impact on student learning. Letters should cite specifics about your teaching, including academic and program development, educational leadership, and professional growth.
For questions, please email David Kappelhoff, MPC Engagement Specialist, at dkappelhoff@parkconnection.org