New Symbol Aims to Move Teachers from Scapegoats to Celebrities

Los Angeles, CA> (PRWEB) June 25, 2012

Today the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences released a sneak preview of the custom sculpted Bammy Award statuette. The iconic symbol will be presented at the inaugural, interdisciplinary Bammy Awards, recognizing excellence in education in 24 categories across the field, September 15th in Washington D.C.
Along with a picture of the prototype, the following excerpt of an internal memo with details of the design specifications was also released.

The Bammy Award statuette was designed to be rich in symbolism and visually arresting. Its base is comprised of 14 concentric circles representing preschool through grade 12, while also signifying the various disciplines and domains that make up the education village.

Integrated into the center of the Bammy statuette is a classic symbol of the earliest schools. People of a certain age will immediately recognize the hand-held school bell that was traditionally used to call students throughout the village. The Bammy bell is a call to everyone interested in education, to remember that it takes a village to educate a child.

Crowning the Bammy statuette is a creatively sculpted and highly polished monolith signifying the effect of a good education in the life of a young person.

Intended to be an iconic symbol of excellence in education from A to Z, the Bammy Award statuette places the recognition we give to educators on par with that we give to the actors, singers and entertainers to whom our culture so highly values. Each Bammy Award makes two quiet but powerful statements: that the recipient has made a difference and that it takes a village to educate a child.

Designed to precise specifications and handcrafted by sculptor Michael De Medina, the Bammy Award statuette is made of the same material as an Oscar, is two pounds heavier than an Emmy, and at 12 inches tall, strikes a presence as impressive as both the coveted Oscar and Emmy Awards. Each Bammy statuette is hand-finished and individually numbered.
In combination with the distinction of the Academy members selecting the honorees, the elegant, iconic beauty of the Bammy statuette lends a distinction to the recipients of these first 24 Bammy Awards that will grow in meaning and value over time.

To see a sneak preview of the Bammy Award prototype go to http://www.bammyawards.org/index.php/sneak-preview

About the Bammy Awards

The Bammy Awards were created in response to the tremendous national pressure on educators and education leaders to improve student outcomes and the intense scrutiny that today's educators face as a result. The Bammy Awards acknowledge that teachers can't educate children alone and don't do it alone. The awards aim to foster cross-discipline recognition for the vital role played by every member of the education village, encourage collaboration and respect across the various domains, elevate education and education successes in the public eye, and raise the profile and voices of the many undervalued and unrecognized people who are making a difference in the field every day.
The Bammy Awards are presented by the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences, made up of 164 of the nation’s most prominent and influential education leaders professional associations. The inaugural black-tie event will take place on September 15, 2012, at the landmark Arena Stage at the Mead Center in Washington, D.C. Awards will be presented in 24 categories. In addition, Linda Darling-Hammond, John Merrow and Diane Ravitch will receive special honors for their distinguished lifetime achievements.
For a complete list of nominations and more information, please visit http://www.bammyawards.org.

Press Contacts:
Jeannette Bernstein
818-359-5971
info (at) bammyawards (dot) org

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