This spring, Foundation46 began an annual tradition of recognizing a member of the community for demonstrating a commitment to enriching and enhancing education. The purpose of this award is to recognize someone within the D46 community each year who demonstrates an understanding that it "takes a village." The education of the children in our community is not the sole responsibility of those who work in the school buildings, but it is our collective responsibility as members of a community. The award has been named for its first recipient, the "Tom Meskel Commitment to Education Award," and was presented at the Nine, Wine and Fine Arts event on Saturday May 3rd.
Tom Meskel’s love of education comes naturally, as he was born into an Iowan family of teachers. He provided instruction to his sailors throughout his Navy career and taught math and science for 32 years. After retiring from Niles West High School, he served on the District 127 Board of Education while he continued to provide instruction to student teachers. Today, Tom continues to supervise student teachers and has committed seven years of volunteer time to Foundation46. When Tom learned this fall that the D46 Science Olympiad teams were in need of additional volunteer coaches, he volunteered to teach Simple Machines at not just one, but two schools. Tom has shared that he holds a belief that the future of our young people is directly related to the provision of educational opportunities for them. In his words, "I love schools, and the people who make them work." Thank you Tom for inspiring us all and reminding us what it means to do what you love and to love what you do!
A perpetual plaque has been hung in each of our schools and will be updated annually with the names of new recipients. We encourage community participation in this process. Nominations for the 2015 Tom Meskel Commitment to Education Award will be accepted in the winter.
