Special Events

Each year, Golden Apple holds special fundraising events to support its mission. To find our more about all of the events Golden Apple offers, please visit our organizational events page. Below is a summary of our key fundraising events: 

GOLDEN APPLE IMPACT AWARD

The Golden Apple Impact Award is given to the person or organization who most effectively, most positively and most significantly impacts Illinois’ students. This award is given to a private individual, company, policy maker, or decision maker who has impacted the lives of so many in Illinois by his/her engagement and positively and significantly affected education in Illinois.

On Tuesday, October 30, 2018, Golden Apple will honor Phyllis Lockett, CEO, LEAP Innovations with the Golden Apple Impact Award. Phyllis has been dedicated to transforming education in the U.S. for more than a decade. She is currently the founder and CEO of LEAP Innovations, an organization headquartered in Chicago that connects innovation and education to transform how students learn. LEAP works directly with educators and innovators across the country to pilot, research and scale personalized learning technologies and innovative practices across classrooms and outside learning environments.

To RSVP, become a sponsor or learn more, please contact Lisa Wagner (630.472.9661 or lisa@ietso.com). To purchase tickets or a sponsorship online, click here. 

Golden Apple Awards For excellence in teaching & leadership

The 33rd annual Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching & Leadership was held on Saturday, May 19, 2018. The Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching & Leadership was the idea of Golden Apple founder Martin J. (Mike) Koldyke, who felt that excellent teachers did not receive adequate recognition for their contributions to building a stronger, better-educated society.

Every year since 1986, Golden Apple has chosen 10 outstanding teachers to receive this prestigious award. These teachers become lifetime members of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, which conceives, develops and supports programs for teachers to make them more effective in the classroom. Golden Apple has welcomed over 300 teaching Fellows and over 100 Teachers of Distinction into the Golden Apple Academy of Educators.  The Golden Apple Awards are broadcast annually on Chicago public television station WTTW11 and streamed on Facebook Live via Golden Apple's page. 

This year, we honored 10 outstanding Pre-K-3rd grade teachers and two exemplary principals. Meet our 2018  award recipients by clicking here. 

Celebration of Excellence in Teaching and Leadership

Each year, we celebrate our finalists for the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching & Leadership at the Celebration of Excellence. In 2018, the Celebration of Excellence in Teaching and Leadership as held on Saturday, February 24th at the Hilton Rosemont Chicago O'Hare. We honored 30 Pre-K-3rd grade teachers for the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching and 7 school leaders for the Stanley C. Golder Leadership Award.

CHICAGO MARATHON

Every fall, Team Golden Apple joins over 45,000 runners in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Since 2011, Golden Apple supporters have joined together to run the 26.2 mile course on behalf of Golden Apple. For more information, please email Ashley Bieze at bieze@goldenapple.org.