NATALIE MORALES OF MSNBC TO SPEAK AT NATION’S STAR TEACHERS AWARDS IN NEW YORK
(Orlando, FL, June 1, 2006) – Natalie Morales, anchor and correspondent with MSNBC and Bright House Networks will honor some of the nation’s most creative and innovative teachers at its annual Star Teacher Awards gala on Monday, June 5 at the Remi Restaurant in New York City beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The Star Teacher Awards recognizes and rewards educators who use Cable in the Classroom programming as a resource for enhancing the learning experience. Winning teachers receive a Crystal Star trophy, a trip to New York City including the gala honoring their commitment to education and a share of the $10,000 cash prize.
“Our Star Teacher Awards program underscores our commitment to supporting quality education in our communities by honoring these creative teachers and the unique learning opportunities they designed for our children,” said John Rigsby, president of Bright House Networks Florida Group office.
The Star Teacher Awards competition, now in its 17th year, is open to educators in all six Bright House Networks divisions. An independent panel of judges selected ten out of a total of 36 entries. The projects were judged on overall program content, relevance to the curriculum, learning benefits to students, innovative approach, quality of materials and activities, duration of the project, frequency and effective use of cable programming and the number of students impacted.
Bright House Networks provides the connection and basic cable connection free to virtually all schools in the company’s service areas. Overall, the schools receive more than 540 hours of commercial-free, educational programming each month at no charge through Bright House Networks membership in Cable in the Classroom.
Lead Sponsorship of the 2005-2006 Bright House Networks Star Teacher Awards program is provided this year by NBC Universal. The June gala in New York City is being supported in part by Univision, Ovation – The Arts Network, The History Channel, Scientific-Atlanta, Discovery Networks, HBO, Scripps Network, Hallmark Channel and Nickelodeon.
"Discovery Networks is truly inspired by this year's Bright House Networks Star Teacher Award recipients," said Bill Goodwyn, president, affiliate sales and marketing, Discovery Networks U.S. "These outstanding teachers are enhancing the classroom experience by using knowledge-based programming to connect learning and technology in a way that engages, entertains and educates students."
"We are enormously impressed by the quality and creativity of the Bright House Star Teacher Award winners,” said Dr. Libby O'Connell, Chief Historian, SVP, Corporate Outreach, A&E Television Networks. “It is inspiring to see so much amazing work being done in our classrooms. It gives all of us hope to know that great teachers such as these are shaping the lives of young people.”
“As part of our growing partnership, Scripps Networks is proud to support Bright House Networks in the communities it serves and this worthwhile initiative, the Star Teacher Awards,” Andy Atkinson, Account Director.
The Remi Restaurant is located on 144 West 54th Street in New York City. A reception will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Garden Atrium. The banquet and awards presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Rialto Room.
About Bright House Networks
Advance/Newhouse Communications provides day-to-day management of Bright House Networks cable systems pursuant to its partnership with Time Warner Entertainment. Bright House Networks serves more than two million customers in several large markets that include Tampa Bay and Central Florida (Orlando), Indianapolis, Birmingham, Bakersfield and Detroit, along with several other smaller systems in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. The high-growth Tampa/Central Florida markets are contiguous and form one of the country’s largest cable clusters.
Exceptional customer service is the company’s cornerstone of its business and top priority across all operating units. Bright House Networks local, customer service centers are available 24 hours per day, seven days per week, including holidays. Public affairs, social responsibility and community involvement continue as major initiatives for the company as an ongoing commitment to the families and communities Bright House Networks serves. This includes long-term commitments to education and to what matters in the lives of the Bright House Networks customers. Bright House Networks owns and operates Central Florida News 13 and Bay News 9.
###
