Overview:

Nominate a Teacher

Nominate a teacher
by February 4, 2023.

The Teachers of Ohio Representing Character and Heart (TORCH) recognition program honors five extraordinary teachers annually by celebrating their efforts to model a strong character and heart for students, colleagues, and community. With support from the Ohio Department of Education, an Ohio Teacher Fellow along with a cohort of Ohio Teacher of the Year finalists review nominations and select five teachers to honor.

Considerations for Nominations

TORCH recipients must demonstrate a dedication to educational equity and a personal commitment to their community. They also should hold themselves and others accountable to the ideals of compassion, integrity, honor and respect.

IMPORTANT: Your TORCH nomination must be confidential and not shared with the nominee.

Once selected and confirmed, the (5) TORCH honorees will be recognized on the TORCH webpage after their announcement in the spring.

All nominees will receive a certificate of nomination with a summary of the nomination information after the TORCH honorees are announced.

Eligibility

A nominee must meet the following criteria:

  • Hold a valid professional Ohio teaching license
  • Have a minimum of seven year's teaching experience
  • Employed full-time in at a state-approved public traditional or community school grades Pre-Kindergarten – 12.
  • Works with students 50% or more of their contracted time
  • Plans to continue actively teaching

Previous Honorees

Read the stories of Ohio teachers who are dedicated to educational equity and making strong personal commitments to their students.

Contact

For answers to questions, contact Angela Dicke at angela.dicke@education.ohio.gov .


Promote TORCH in your District

Districts can use logos below to promote the TORCH program through their websites and newsletters.

Click on image or text below to download.

Last Modified: 1/11/2023 4:29:50 PM