News Opinion #BTColumn – Ten educators to be rewarded for their efforts Barbados Today27/09/20220123 views (L-R) Jillian Nunes, RF Merchant Bank & Trust President & CEO alongside Award sponsors Charlene Mullin, Kooyman Marketing Officer, Tracy Jones, Hilton Dir. Of Sales & Marketing, Renae Alleyne, Housing Concepts SRL General Manager, Donna Wellington, CIBC Managing Director, Ann Barrow, CGI Insurance Marketing Manager, Cheryl Forde, Cooperator’s General Insurance Marketing Manager, and Rhea Ramsey, Barbados Today Account Executive. Ten Barbados teachers will share over $20,000 in cash and prizes through the Distinguished Teacher Awards 2022 Established in 2010, the awards programme recognizes exceptional local educators for their significant contributions to their profession and community. Ten teachers are awarded every year, each receiving a monetary prize. All current teachers in Barbados are eligible to win and anyone can nominate a teacher for the Award including former or current students, parents, and educators. A Blue-Ribbon panel of judges will shortlist and select the top ten. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in January 2023. NDTA has continuously garnered community support, evidenced by the thousands of nominations received to date. “We continue to be inspired by the many amazing stories we receive by those who have been positively impacted by teachers,” said Jillian Nunes, President & CEO of RF Merchant Bank & Trust (Barbados) Ltd. “This is a testament to the role of teachers, not only in educating students, but also in inspiring future generations to excel in every sphere of life. RF is pleased to bring these incredible but often untold stories to the Barbados public through the NDTA programme.” Nominations can be submitted virtually via www.rfgroup.com/barbados/ndta. Nominees will be eligible to win a share of a $20,000 cash prize, lunch for two at Hilton plus BICO vouchers. The categories open for nominations are nursery, primary, secondary, tertiary, sixth-form, special needs and top school principal. The school with the most nominations will also win $2,000 toward a development project. The 2022 awards programme is supported by a cadre of local companies that salute Barbadian educators. Chief among them is returning partner, CBC Barbados. “We are pleased to be a partner in the RF National Distinguished Teacher’s Awards,” commented Diane Forte, CBC Director of Sales & Marketing. “The role of a teacher extends beyond classroom lessons. In many ways teachers are guardians of our nation’s future. An initiative such as this to acknowledge, highlight and reward teachers is forward thinking and creates a platform to cement the respect for this invaluable profession. “ Sponsors include CIBC First Caribbean, Hilton Barbados, Housing Concepts SRL, Barbados Today, BICO, CGI Insurance, Co-operators General Insurance, Kooyman, and Pan-American International Insurance Corporation. For further information about the RF National Distinguished Teachers’ Awards, visit: www.rfgroup.com/barbados. To join the conversation online, follow RF on Instagram and Facebook @rfbanktrust. (PR)