Nomination Window Opens for The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education

NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The nomination window opened today for the 2016 Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education, which honors innovation and has become one of the most prestigious educational awards since its founding in 1988. The Prize will undergo significant changes for next year as part of a new alliance between McGraw-Hill Education and Arizona State University (ASU).

For the first time, the public will have the opportunity to submit nominations by visiting McGrawPrize.com until November 15, 2015. The Prize dinner and ceremony will be held at the ASU+GSV Innovation Summit in San Diego on April 19, 2016.

The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education annually recognizes outstanding individuals who have dedicated themselves to improving education through new approaches and whose accomplishments are making a difference today. Previously, the Prize had been overseen by the McGraw Hill Financial Research Foundation. The Prize will include three categories: U.S. K-12, higher education and international. Honorees receive an award of $50,000.

Past Prize winners include:

• Geoffrey Canada, President and CEO, Harlem Children's Zone, Inc.
• Sal Khan, Founder of the Khan Academy
• Wendy Kopp, President and Founder of Teach For America, and
• Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills and Special Advisor on Education Policy to the Secretary-General at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

"Since the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education was founded in 1988 to honor my late father, we have recognized some of the most important education leaders of the past generation," said Harold (Terry) McGraw III, former CEO and Chairman of McGraw Hill Financial. "My family and I are excited to see the new direction of the Prize and the alliance with Arizona State University."

"We are delighted, humbled and honored to take on the responsibility for the Prize," said David Levin, president and CEO of McGraw-Hill Education. "The rich legacy of the past 27 years is the heritage McGraw-Hill Education and ASU proudly inherit. We see the Prize as part of the world of learning throughout the year and as a means to celebrate those individuals who have made a particularly notable impact on peoples' lives across the globe."

"This Prize will be an important way to recognize and nurture innovation around the world," added Dr. Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University. "The ASU+GSV Innovation Summit is the perfect forum at which to honor those who are dedicated to our common mission to affect change through learning."

ASU is committed to excellence, access and impact, and is the most innovative university in the nation according to US News & World Report.

For updates on the Prize and news from past winners, follow the conversation at #McGrawPrize.

About McGraw-Hill Education
McGraw-Hill Education is a learning science company that delivers personalized learning experiences that help students, parents, educators and professionals improve results. McGraw-Hill Education has offices across North America, India, China, Europe, the Middle East and South America, and makes its learning solutions available in nearly 60 languages. Visit us at mheducation.com or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

About Arizona State University
Arizona State University has developed a new model for the American Research University, creating an institution that is committed to excellence, access, and impact. ASU measures itself by those it includes, not by those it excludes. ASU pursues research that contributes to the public good, and ASU assumes major responsibility for the economic, social, and cultural vitality of the communities that surround it. Under the direction of its president Dr. Michael Crow, ASU has emerged as one of the most progressive global education institutions worldwide. Learn more about this top-ranked research university.

Contacts:
Daniel Sieger
McGraw-Hill Education
(646) 766-2001
dan.sieger@mheducation.com

Carrie Lingenfelter
EdPlus at Arizona State University
(480) 884-1541
carrie.lingenfelter@asu.edu

SOURCE McGraw-Hill Education