South Ripley Teacher Travels to LA to Receive Prestigious Milken Educator Award

Katie Lanter received a $25,000 cash prize for earning the award.

Katie Lanter (IN '24) and her husband Kyle stop for a photo on the red carpet. Photo provided.

(Santa Monica, CA.) - The 2024 Class of Milken Educator Award recipients recently traveled to Los Angeles to attend the national Milken Educator Awards forum held at UCLA. 

Among the awardees was Katie Lanter, a 7th grade English/Language Arts and Reading teacher at South Ripley Junior High. 

She was officially recognized as an Indiana Milken Educator Award recipient and received her unrestricted $25,000 cash prize. 

Lanter first learned she would receive the award during a surprise assembly at South Ripley High School on December 12, 2024. The award, hailed as the “Oscar of Teaching,” recognizes educators for instructional excellence, professional leadership, engagement with the community, and potential for even greater contributions to the healthy development of children.

An all-expenses-paid trip to L.A. and $25,000 cash prize were part of each educator’s Award, which also provides lifetime membership to the national Milken Educator Network, powerful mentorship and professional development opportunities, and access to a brain trust of over 3,000 Milken Educators working to shape the future of K-12 education.

“We honor the achievements of 2024’s Milken Educators, who dedicate their lives to providing students with the high-quality education they need and deserve,” said Lowell Milken. “We shine a spotlight on these extraordinary change agents so that when they return to their communities, they will know that their impact is not only noticed but also treasured. We hope they will continue to inspire other talented young people to join the adventure of teaching and serve as a beacon of excellence for future generations.”

At this year’s forum, appropriately themed “3,000 Strong and Making an Impact,” veteran and new Milken Educators gathered at UCLA to share ideas for amplifying their voice in their professional careers. With the Awards’ mission to “Celebrate, Elevate, and Activate” the teaching profession, recipients learned about the powerful opportunities the Milken Educator Network affords to expand their leadership in practice and policy.

Lanter will be able to use the $25,000 award in any way she chooses. 

Visit MilkenEducatorAwards.org for more information about the award.

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