Santa Monica, Calif., (Apr. 22, 2025) — Hailing from across the country, the 2024 class of Milken Educator Award recipients traveled to Los Angeles to attend the national Milken Educator Awards Forum held at UCLA April 1-3. Meeting one another for the first time, the 2024 class gathered with their loved ones to walk the red carpet – a celebration fitting for their continued excellence and leadership inside and outside of the classroom.
Milken Educator Awards Founder Lowell Milken hosted the 2024 Awardees, officially recognizing Kansas Milken Educator Award recipient Meredith Reid with her unrestricted $25,000 cash prize following her surprise notification in January.
The all-expenses-paid trip to L.A. and $25,000 cash prize were part of each educator’s Award, which also provides lifetime membership to the national Milken Educator Network, powerful mentorship and professional development opportunities, and access to a brain trust of over 3,000 Milken Educators working to shape the future of K-12 education.
“We honor the achievements of 2024’s Milken Educators, who dedicate their lives to providing students with the high-quality education they need and deserve,” said Lowell Milken. “We shine a spotlight on these extraordinary change agents so that when they return to their communities, they will know that their impact is not only noticed but also treasured. We hope they will continue to inspire other talented young people to join the adventure of teaching and serve as a beacon of excellence for future generations.”
At this year’s forum, appropriately themed “3,000 Strong and Making an Impact,” veteran and new Milken Educators gathered at UCLA to share ideas for amplifying their voice in their professional careers. With the Awards’ mission to “Celebrate, Elevate, and Activate” the teaching profession, recipients learned about the powerful opportunities the Milken Educator Network affords to expand their leadership in practice and policy.
Additionally, the forum celebrated a significant milestone for the Milken Family Foundation: reaching the 3,000th Milken Educator Award recipient since the Awards’ inception nearly four decades ago. The 2024-25 season concluded with the induction of 42 new Milken Educators, with more than $75 million in individual financial prizes and more than $145 million invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall.
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Visit MilkenEducatorAwards.org or call the Milken Family Foundation at (310) 570-4772 for more information.
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About the Milken Educator Awards: “The Future Belongs to the Educated”
The first Milken Educator Awards were presented by the Milken Family Foundation in 1987. Created by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken, the Awards provide public recognition and individual financial rewards of $25,000 to K-12 teachers, principals, and specialists from around the country who are furthering excellence in education. Recipients are heralded in early- to mid-career for what they have achieved and for the promise of what they will accomplish. The Milken Family Foundation celebrates more than 40 years of elevating education in America and around the world. Learn more at MFF.org.
PHOTOS:
Download photos from galleries on the right column of each educator’s bio page here by clicking the blue button under each desired photo.
Credit: Milken Family Foundation
Meredith Reid (KS ’24)
Teacher
Girard High School
Girard, KS
Subject(s) taught: Music
Grade(s): 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
At the time of the Award, Meredith Reid was:
Teacher
Girard High School
Girard, KS
Subject(s) taught: Music
Grade(s): 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Biographical Information
When Meredith Reid attended Girard High School as a student, the choral music program had no longer existed. When she returned to her alma mater as a teacher several years later, Reid reestablished the program which now produces an award-winning choir. They regularly perform throughout the community and compete at regional and state music events, where the group earned the “superior” rating this past school year.
In addition, nearly all her high school soloists receive top ratings at the regional and state competitions. Reid had six students chosen for the Kansas All-State Choirs, one of only two choral programs in southeast Kansas to achieve this honor. One of her choral students was selected to join the prestigious Kansas State University Summer Choral Institute, a highly selective program that admits only 48 students across the country each year.
In her classroom, Reid uses a positive rewards system to motivate her students to utilize good singing techniques. The system was so well-received she was asked to present the model at the Kansas Music Educators Association In-Service Workshop. For students in this rural community with little to no access to private vocal lessons, Reid opens a world of musical opportunities for her choral students.
Outside of GHS, Reid is an engaged member of her hometown and beyond, serving as a local officer in P.E.O., a nonprofit organization that helps women pursue education; representing GHS at a national education conference; and serving as board secretary for the American Choral Directors Association. Reid has been involved with the Kansas Music Educators Association and served as Southeast Kansas choral chair. Her commitment to music education extends to her colleagues and young music teachers in the district and region who benefit from her friendship and mentorship. Her community choir, “Generations,” reflects her goals of having a sustained music program whose members serve as role models for young musicians and represent the importance of lifelong dedication to music appreciation.
A Kansas State University graduate, Reid earned a Bachelor of Music Education in 2010 and a Master of Music Education in 2017.
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Christmas magic lit up Lowell Milken Park as families and friends enjoyed the holiday cheer with dazzling lights and a festive movie night during Christmas on the Bricks. 
