Eligibility 

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Teacher Pay It Forward is open to K–12 teachers currently employed by an eligible public, private, charter or faith-based school located within one of the following Georgia counties: 

• Bulloch  

• Candler  

• Emanuel  

• Jenkins  

• Johnson  

• Tattnall  

• Toombs (includes Vidalia School District) 

 

To be eligible for consideration, nominees must: 

• Be a current K–12 teacher employed by an eligible school during the current academic year. 

• Be responsible for a classroom or instructional program that directly serves students. 

• Be employed at a school located within one of the eligible counties listed above. 

• Be actively employed in a teaching position at the time recipients are announced. 

 

The following are not eligible for Teacher Pay It Forward recognition: 

• School administrators (principals, assistant principals, etc.)  

• Counselors  

• Media specialists/librarians  

• Instructional coaches  

• Paraprofessionals  

• Support staff  

• Previous Teacher Pay It Forward recipients 

 

Nominations 

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Teacher Pay It Forward welcomes nominations from anyone who has been positively impacted by an eligible educator or wishes to recognize their contributions. 

 

Nominations may be submitted by, but are not limited to: 

• Students  

• Parents or guardians  

• School administrators  

• Peers and co-workers  

• Community members  

• Former students  

• Family members 

 

Nomination Form 

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Nominations submitted through the official Teacher Pay It Forward nomination form must: 

• Be received by the published nomination deadline.  

• Nominate an educator who meets all program eligibility requirements.  

• Include thoughtful and complete responses describing the educator's impact on students, the school, and the community. 

 

Social Media Nominations 

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Social media nominations are also eligible for consideration and must: 

• Be posted during the official nomination period.  

• Include the official campaign hashtag #TPIF2026.  

• Tag the official Crider Foods social media account. 

• Clearly identify the nominated educator, grade level, and school.  

• Include a meaningful explanation of why the educator deserves recognition. 

 

Each individual may submit one (1) nomination during the nomination period. Multiple individuals may nominate the same educator; however, only one nomination per person will be accepted. Duplicate nominations submitted by the same individual may be disqualified or consolidated at the discretion of the selection committee. 

 

Incomplete, duplicate, fraudulent, or ineligible nominations may be disqualified at the discretion of the selection committee. 

 

Selection Process 

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Following the close of the nomination period, all eligible nominations are reviewed by the Teacher Pay It Forward selection committee. 

 

Recipients are selected through a county-based review process. Each participating county is allocated a predetermined number of recipients based on factors such as the number of schools served, community representation and overall program participation. 

 

Within each county, nominations are evaluated using several factors, including: 

• Number of nominations received for each educator.  

• Quality and thoughtfulness of the nominations, including the examples and stories shared by students, parents, colleagues, and community members.  

• Demonstrated impact on students, the school and the broader community.  

• Representation across grade levels, school types, and educational disciplines to recognize the diversity of educators who make a difference.  

• Overall balance of the recipient class, ensuring the program celebrates educators from a variety of backgrounds, roles and communities.  

 

Selection committee decisions are based on the overall strength of the nominations submitted for each educator and are made using both quantitative and qualitative evaluation. The number of nominations received is an important consideration but does not, by itself, determine the recipients. All selection committee decisions are final. 

 

Teacher Pay It Forward is designed to recognize a broad and diverse group of outstanding educators throughout the communities it serves. As a result, educators who have previously received a Teacher Pay It Forward award are not eligible for future awards. 

 

Awards 

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Fourteen (14) Teacher Pay It Forward recipients will be selected each program year. Each recipient will receive $1,500 in classroom supplies, provided through the purchase of items from an Amazon Wish List created by the recipient. To receive the award, recipients must: 

 

• Create and submit an Amazon Wish List by the deadline established by Crider Foods.  

• Include classroom supplies and educational materials intended to benefit their students and classroom.  

• Ensure that the total value of the requested items does not exceed $1,500.  

 

Crider Foods will purchase approved items directly from each recipient's Amazon Wish List. Gift cards, cash, reimbursements, or substitutions will not be provided. 

 

Crider Foods reserves the right to review and approve requested items and may remove or substitute items that are unavailable, exceed the award value, or are inconsistent with the purpose of the Teacher Pay It Forward program. 

 

Notification 

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Recipients will be announced publicly on a date determined by Crider Foods. 

 

Following the public announcement, Crider Foods will contact each recipient to coordinate: 

• Program participation and acceptance 

• Interviews 

• Photography and/or video 

• Award fulfillment 

• Any additional activities associated with the Teacher Pay It Forward program 

 

Recipients are expected to participate in reasonable promotional activities associated with the Teacher Pay It Forward program, including interviews, photography and/or video. 

 

If a recipient cannot be reached, declines the award, fails to respond, or is determined to be ineligible, Crider Foods reserves the right to select an alternate recipient. 

 

Publicity 

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By accepting an award, recipients grant Crider Foods permission to use their name, school, photographs, video recordings, interview excerpts and likeness in future promotional materials related to the Teacher Pay It Forward program without additional compensation or notice. 

 

General Conditions 

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• The decisions of the selection committee are final.  

• Crider Foods reserves the right to modify or cancel the program if necessary.  

• Fraudulent nominations may be disqualified.  

• Program is void where prohibited. 

• Crider Foods reserves the right to interpret and apply these Official Rules and resolve any questions or disputes regarding eligibility, nominations, or program administration.