OfficeMax Teacher Innovator Program

"Innovation is driven by a commitment to excellence and continuous improvement. Innovation is based on curiosity, the willingness to take risks, and experimenting to test assumptions. Innovation is based on questioning and challenging the status quo. It is also based on recognizing opportunity and taking advantage of it.”  
                        – U.S. Department of Education

OfficeMax, in partnership with District 203, would like to honor innovative teachers and full-time, certified, non-administrative educators who encourage creativity, innovation and excellence in our schools. Working together, they have developed the OfficeMax Teacher Innovator Program.

There are many District 203 educators whose innovations truly make a difference in the classroom. Please take the time to nominate an educator for the OfficeMax Teacher Innovator Award.  Recipients receive great awards provided by OfficeMax, as well as recognition for their outstanding achievements with students and their school community.

Click here to read about our winners!

Nomination Guidelines

Nominee/Educator

• Educator must be in good standing with his/her school.
• Educator must be full-time and be certified by the Board of Education, if representing a school district in a non-administrative capacity.
• Educators can be named a monthly recipient only once during a school calendar year.

Nomination Process

• Nominations must answer all the questions directly.
• Nominations must be submitted via email or using the Teacher Innovator Program Nomination Form (Word).
• Nominations must be received by the first of each month (October-April).
• No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win.

Who can nominate an educator?

• Any colleague, student, parent or community member age 13 or older can nominate an educator.

Nomination Deadlines

• Nomination forms may be submitted from October through April.
• Nominations must be received by the first of each month.

Selection Process

• Every month, the Department of Community Relations, along with OfficeMax representatives and other community members, will review nominations and select that month’s recipient.
• The Department of Community Relations will notify the school principal of the monthly recipient.

• Does the innovation break with conventional ideas or norms in education?
• Does the teacher's innovative practice go beyond marginal improvements or something that already exists?
• Will the innovation have a significant impact on student achievement?

Monthly awards presented to educator's school

• A digital camera
• A color photo printer
• $400 in OfficeMax gift card
• Flowers and balloons
• Assorted office supplies

Click here to see the list of winners!

Year-end

• OfficeMax Teacher Innovator of the Year Award given at a school-year-end banquet

Awards, General: The total cumulative approximate retail value of each monthly award is $700. Awards (other than flowers and balloons) will be given to District 203 for use in the recipient's school or district in honor of the recipient. Awards are nontransferable and must be accepted as awarded. No cash or other substitution may be made, except by OfficeMax in the event that an item (or part thereof) cannot be awarded, in which case OfficeMax will in its sole discretion grant an award (or part thereof) of equal or greater value. All awards are given to District 203 for use in the recipient's school. 

Conditions: OfficeMax reserves the right to modify these rules for clarification purposes without materially affecting the terms and conditions of the Program. Members of the OfficeMax Teacher Innovator Award Committee are not eligible to submit nominations.