Norwegian rewards 30 teachers in 'Giving Joy' campaignNorwegian rewards 30 teachers in 'Giving Joy' campaign

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The 30 educators, who won seven-day cruises for two anywhere Norwegian sails, are now eligible to win one of three grand prizes of $25,000, $15,000 and $10,000 for their schools. The grand prize winners will be revealed at a private celebration in Seattle on May 3.

Those winners will be chosen by a panel of Norwegian executives based on the relevancy of their submission to the contest theme — giving joy, the nominees’ lasting impact on their students and content and originality.

More than 46,000 nominations

From March 12 to April 12 the cruise line encouraged the public to nominate and vote for educators from the U.S. and Canada who inspire joy in the classroom. The campaign generated more than 46,000 nominations and 1.43m votes.

The 30 winners include these Floridians: Alexandra Durr, George Washington Carver Elementary School (Coral Gables), Ashley Lantes, Windy Hill Middle School (Clermont), Bethany McAfee, Sheridan Technical High School (Fort Lauderdale), Christopher Wikfors, Randall Middle School (Lithia), Kendall Carrier, Manatee High School (Bradenton) and Rachael Spires, Imagine Schools at Town Center (Palm Coast).

Winners from Georgia are Traviera Sewell, Long Cane Middle School (LaGrange) and Wendolyn Camp, Dodge County High School (Eastman). From New Mexico are Arnel Dela Cruz, Miyamura High School (Gallup) and Christopher Shepherd, Jackson Middle School (Albuquerque).

Other winners are Jason Seaman, Noblesville West Middle School (Noblesville, Indiana), Jordan Ryan Price, Lincoln Performing Arts Elementary (Louisville, Kentucky), Ashley Chauvin, Young Audiences Charter School (Gretna, Louisiana), Kate Drury, Vestaburg Community School (Vestaburg, Michigan) and William Becker, Ronan Middle School (Ronan, Montana).

From New York are Beth Devlin, Dutch Lane Elementary School and and Samantha Guglieri, Woodland Avenue Elementary School (both in Hicksville), Brian J. O’Neill, Patchogue-Medford High School (Medford), Erin Degnan, Walter S. Boardman Elementary School (Oceanside, Jonathan Chiaramonte, Sachem North High School (Lake Ronkonkoma), Nicole Conlisk, One World Middle School (Bronx) and Noelle Files, Corcoran High School (Syracuse).

Further winners are Nancy Kawaja, Catholic Education Centre (Ottawa, Ontario), Ashley Kuzma, McDowell Intermediate High School (Erie, Pennsylvania), Melissa Owens, Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 (Easton, Pennsylvania), Shaughn Thomas, Lake Olympia Middle School (Missouri City, Texas), Rachelle Jodie Durrant, Uintah High School (Vernal, Utah), Amber Pereira, Emerick Elementary School (Ashburn, Virginia), Monte Syrie, Cheney High School (Cheney, Washington) and Lindsey Ward, Northland Pines-Eagle River Elementary (Eagle River, Wisconsin).

'We are so pleased with the overwhelming response we received for this campaign and we are very happy to announce and celebrate these 30 deserving winners,' Norwegian President and CEO Andy Stuart said.