Two faculty members at Downers Grove South High School have received 2017 Mary Hoffman Award of Excellence awards from the Illinois Music Education Association: Fine Arts Chair Glenn Williams and Music Teacher Laura Coster. They are two of only three educators statewide to receive the honor this year. The award has been given since 1999 and is named after Mary E. Hoffman, a prominent and respected music educator from Illinois who passed away in 1997. Recipients are nominated by their peers.
“To my knowledge, it is unprecedented to have two Mary Hoffman award honorees from the same school in the same year,” says Downers Grove North High School Fine Arts Chair Brayer Teague. “This clearly speaks to the high quality of music instruction happening at DGS, and the impact that both Laura and Glenn have had--throughout their teaching careers--on the broader arts landscape in Illinois.”
“We are proud but not surprised that both Glenn and Laura have been recognized by their peers throughout the state and nation for this prestigious award,” says South High Principal Ed Schwartz. “Our students are the direct beneficiaries of their commitment to excellence in teaching.”
Williams and Coster will be recognized at the ILMEA State Music Conference Opening Session on January 26, 2017.
With over 3,500 members from across the Illinois, ILMEA is the largest of the 52 affiliates of NAfME, The National Association for Music Education. Please visit www.ilmea.org for additional details about the award and ILMEA.
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