Teachers from pre-school level to Grade Four are being recognised for showing imagination and passion in teaching with the announcement of International Excellence Awards by the Heritage International Scholarship Trust Foundation.

Heritage International Scholarship Trust Foundation President and CEO, Scott McIndless was in Bermuda this week to announce the creation of the awards which will be presented to six teachers from Bermuda, Jamaica and the Bahamas in October this year.

?If you think a teacher you know fits the awards nomination criteria, take the time to send us your nomination,? Mr. McIndless said.

Nominations with testimonials of 350 words or less will be accepted until June 30 and a selection committee, comprised of individuals from a broad cross-section of society, including educators, parents and the media.

A previous winner of the award from Canada included a pre-school teacher for the deaf.

Mr. McIndless said the annual Heritage International Scholarship Trust Foundation would honour, with $1,000 awards, six individual teachers of children in junior kindergarten to grade four who have introduced innovative methods of teaching and learning to the classroom and in so doing, have widened the horizons and raised the expectations of their students from the three countries including Bermuda.

More information, as well as application forms, can be found on the website:

?In our view, early childhood educators deserve as much recognition as we can give them,? he said.

He added that it had been proven that the period of early child development was equal to, if in some cases more important, than the period children and youth spend in education or post secondary education.

The Heritage International Scholarship Trust Foundation administers the Heritage International Scholarship Trust Plan, one of the highest performing, safest and most flexible Education Savings Plan in the world, with more than $70 million in assets under management.