Teaching Tolerance Wins Prestigious Education Awards

For the second time, the Southern Poverty Law Center's Teaching Tolerance program has won the highest honor from the Association of Educational Publishers.

Rhinos and Raspberries: Tolerance Tales for the Early Grades received the Golden Lamp, the Association's top honor, at its annual banquet in Washington, D.C., on June 12.

In addition, Teaching Tolerance magazine was recognized with the Distinguished Achievement Award for Periodical of the Year, for the second consecutive year. The awards are among the highest honors in the field of educational publishing.

Teaching Tolerance magazine also received three other Distinguished Achievement Awards – for design, illustration and photography.

"Teaching Tolerance is honored to have been recognized this way by our peers in the educational press," said Teaching Tolerance Director Jennifer Holladay. "We are incredibly grateful to the thousands of educators across the country who continue to make diversity a top priority in their classrooms. And we are so very thankful to the supporters of the Southern Poverty Law Center, whose generosity makes our work possible."

Released in Fall 2006, Rhinos and Raspberries includes 12 fully illustrated stories, along with activity ideas, discussion prompts and full lesson plans, and has been sent for free to more than 30,000 teachers, pre-kindergarten through 6th grade, across the United States. A majority of educators who completed the kit's online evaluation form reported that Rhinos and Raspberries increased students' appreciation for human differences and improved their interpersonal skills. Ninety-six percent said they would recommend the kit to fellow educators.

Teaching Tolerance magazine is the nation's leading journal dedicated to supporting educators' efforts to nurture respect and understanding among children. More than 90 percent of educators who read the magazine said in a recent survey that Teaching Tolerance helps them think more deeply about diversity issues, be more sensitive to students' needs and be a better teacher.

The Association of Educational Publishers has honored the best in supplemental educational publishing for more than 40 years. Judges for the competition are chosen from a national pool of educational publishing professionals, including writers, editors, designers, educators, curriculum specialists, product developers and marketing directors.

Teaching Tolerance has earned numerous Distinguished Achievement Awards in past years. Its first Golden Lamp was in 1995.