The retailer’s initiative promotes Unesco’s World Teacher’s Day on 5 October, and invites South African children and school communities to highlight the vital status and role that teachers play in society.
Pupils can nominate their teaching hero by writing a short motivational piece about their teacher, and why and how the educator touched their lives. Entries can be submitted by e-mail, fax or post before 10 September.
In the first stage of the competition, two compelling entries from each province, in both the primary and high school categories, will be selected by a panel of independent judges. From this shortlist, the judges will then select four regional high school and four regional primary school finalists.
In stage two of the competition, the eight teachers in the running for the grand prize will be hosted in Cape Town at an event in October to meet and greet the judges. The date is still to be announced. At the end of the competition, an external auditor will select the first, second and third place winners.
The eight teachers who make it to the second stage of the competition will each win a laptop. First, second, and third place will each receive R50 000, R20 000 and R10 000 Woolworths gift cards respectively. The remaining finalists will each be awarded a R1 000 Woolworths gift card.
Pupils who nominate their winning teachers will receive prizes along with their schools. Each school will be awarded R5 000 cash, while each pupil will be given a R5 000 shopping voucher at a Woolworths store.
This year, the competition is linked to the Woolworths and Pharrell Williams’ Are you with us? campaign which aims to raise R100 million for education in South Africa. This campaign is especially relevant to the famous singer, seeing as his mother is a teacher.
Details: www.woolworths.co.za
