The Golden Apple Foundation Surprises Cobden Jr./Sr. High School Teacher Karen Engelmann with Prestigious Award for Excellence in Teaching

CHICAGO (April 28, 2025) -  The Golden Apple Foundation, the leading Illinois-based nonprofit committed to preparing, mentoring, honoring, and retaining great educators who advance educational opportunities for students, today surprised Karen Engelmann, a Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher at Cobden Jr./Sr. High School in Cobden, with the prestigious Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. Engelmann is one of 11 teacher award recipients in Illinois. 

Following a highly competitive process, the 2025 teaching award recipients were selected from more than 470 nominations of 9th-12th-grade teachers. 

"Exceptional teachers ignite curiosity, build confidence, and create pathways to lifelong success for their students," said Alan Mather, President of The Golden Apple Foundation. "The educators we honor today exemplify teaching at its finest. They blend passion with expertise and innovation with compassion. As they join our community of excellence, these individuals will help us strengthen the teaching profession across Illinois, inspiring and mentoring emerging educators who will shape countless young minds for generations to come."

The Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching honor outstanding teachers for having lasting, positive effects on students’ lives and school communities. Teacher recipients demonstrate, in their teaching and results, a significant, positive impact on their students’ growth and learning. 
About Karen Engelmann

Karen Engelmann teaches Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) at Cobden Jr./Sr. High School in Illinois. With 15 years of experience, Engelmann exposes students to global perspectives through food, traditions, and practical applications. In her Foods class, students prepare recipes from different cultures, such as pozole, a traditional Mexican soup, and then invite cafeteria diners to sample it and provide feedback, hoping to have it added to the lunch menu. Through these experiences, she fosters discussions on global traditions and broadens students’ understanding of different communities.

In addition to expanding students' cultural awareness, Karen is dedicated to preparing them for future careers. She founded the Future Teachers program to mentor aspiring educators and strengthen the teacher pipeline in Southern Illinois. This project closely aligns with Golden Apple’s mission to prepare the next generation of teachers to address the teacher shortage.

Her colleagues describe her as an educator who inspires leadership, challenges students to reach their full potential, and creates a learning environment where every student feels valued

Each award recipient receives a $5,000 cash award and a spring sabbatical provided by Northwestern University at no cost. Award recipients also become Fellows of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, a community of educators who play an important role in preparing the next generation of teachers in the Golden Apple Scholars and Accelerators programs, which are dedicated to addressing the teacher shortage in Illinois.

The nomination period for the 2026 Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching & Leadership is open. All are invited to nominate exceptional 4th-8th grade teachers and Pre-K-12th grade school leaders in Illinois at www.goldenapple.org/awards. 

Golden Apple’s social media channels will feature surprises for each of the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching & Leadership recipients. Follow the news here: Facebook | X | Instagram | LinkedIn. 

About The Golden Apple Foundation
The Golden Apple Foundation’s mission is to inspire, develop and support teacher and school leader excellence, especially in schools-of-need. Our leading-edge preparation delivers exceptional teachers who make an impact. We help students thrive in the classroom and in life. Since our beginning, we have recognized master educators annually; and, these master educators help prepare the next generation of teachers through both our Golden Apple Scholars (for undergraduates) and Golden Apple Accelerators (for career-changers) programs. Our vision is one in which every classroom has a great teacher and to realize this, we are committed to making a material difference in resolving the teacher shortage. Visit http://www.goldenapple.org for more information.

Media contact:

Emily Evans

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emilye@theharbingergroup.com