Today the Montana Professional Teaching Foundation (MPTF) opened nominations for the first John Morrison Healthy Montana Kids Educator Award. The award will recognize a teacher or school employee who, through inspiration and innovation, has done exceptional work to foster a commitment to healthy lifestyles and choices among Montana public school students. The recipient of the John Morrison Healthy Montana Kids Educator Award will receive a $3,000 stipend and a professional development scholarship worth up to $1,500.

Nominations are open through May. Teachers and school employees can be nominated using this form.

The Montana Professional Teaching Foundation has worked to enhance the teaching profession and promote quality education in Montana for 25 years. MPTF has sponsored teacher professional development efforts, classroom grants, education leadership initiatives, and recognition programs for outstanding Montana educators in schools and communities all over Montana.

The John Morrison Healthy Montana Kids Educator Award is made possible thanks to a generous donation to the Montana Professional Teaching Foundation from Helena attorney and former state auditor, John Morrison. In 2008, Morrison drafted I-155, which created the Healthy Montana Kids Program. Morrison led the campaign to pass the ballot measure and it was approved by 70% of Montanans voting in favor. Healthy Montana Kids has expanded health care access to 65,000 additional Montana children and now covers more than half of the children in Montana. Morrison is a senior partner at Morrison Sherwood Wilson Deola, a public interest law firm based in Helena, Montana.