学进去

Chancelor Bennett has surprises in store for educators during Teacher Appreciation Week. The Grammy Awards-winning artist is hosting his virtual award show “The Twilight Awards” to surprise 10 teachers and recognize them for their work. He’ll also donate $300,000 to these teachers.

“Most artists want to do the Grammys, but everybody wants to do ‘Sesame Street’,” he said. “It’s because when you’re a kid, you create long-lasting memories of it. Sesame Street’ teaches kids how to count or spell a certain word and influences them forever.” He said the same goes for the work teachers do for children. “The true superstars are these people.”

Chancelor first developed the idea in 2017, after working with educators in Chicago Public Schools. That year he donated $1 million to the school system, and started a fund in Chicago classrooms through one initiative of SocialWorks, a nonprofit he established. The award show was named in honor of American educator Alexander Twilight, the first African American known to graduate from an American college.

Chancelor didn’t have the best educational experience. He was kind of written off by some of his teachers due to the Fs on his report card, but it caused him to have a deeper gratitude to the ones that didn’t abandon him. “When I could have gotten kept back or kicked out of school or any number of things, there were quite a few teachers that helped keep me on track,” he explained.

Aliamer from Sayre Language Academy is among the first educators to be honored. “I asked them a couple of times on the phone if an error was committed,” said Aliamer. The 25-year-old has only been teaching for two years. “I don’t think any credit goes to me. It brings me optimism that people are learning to be more empathetic and understanding.”