KIPP Navigate College Prep Teacher Receives $10,000 Award for Classroom Excellence
Oakland, CA – August 7, 2024 – Ellis Stephens, an art teacher at KIPP Navigate College Prep in San José, has been named a 2024 Harriett Ball Excellence in Teaching Award Winner. Stephens is among 10 educators nationwide to win this year’s award and will receive $10,000 in recognition of his exemplary work in the classroom. A short video was also produced to celebrate Stephens’ accomplishments as a KIPP Northern California Public Schools teacher.
“Passionate teachers like Ellis Stephens are the heart of our schools. Mr. Stephens’ dedication to art education nurtures our students’ creativity and individuality and supports their overall growth as learners. At KIPP, we believe in educating the whole child, and teachers like Mr. Stephens are essential to providing our students with the skills, confidence, and opportunities they need to succeed in college, career, and beyond.”
Beth Thompson, CEO of KIPP Northern California
The Harriett Ball Excellence in Teaching Award is given annually to a select group of K-12 teachers from KIPP schools around the country. Teachers are selected for the award based on their track record of improving student achievement, their school and classroom leadership, and their commitment to preparing all students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose — college, career, and beyond.
Since joining the KIPP Navigate staff three years ago, Ellis Stephens has achieved a transformative impact on student learning. His rigorous curriculum, which includes projects such as self-portraits, graffiti nameplates, and 3-D pop art, challenges students to explore their identities and uplift their communities through art. Beyond the classroom, Stephens has taken on additional roles as grade level chair, Sunshine Committee leader, and antiracist advisory curriculum lead, contributing to a positive school culture and fostering a sense of belonging among staff and students alike.
“Ellis Stephens is a master teacher whose charisma and passion inspire students to use art as a vehicle for transforming themselves and their community. It is impossible to walk into Mr. Stephens’ classroom and not be awed by the level of engagement, risk-taking, and joy that students are experiencing.”
Julia González Luna, principal of KIPP Navigate
Stephens’ commitment to social justice and equity is evident both inside and outside the classroom. His initiatives, such as founding Family Art Nights and involving students in public art projects such as the creation of a mural at the annual Mexica New Year celebration, have strengthened ties with KIPP Navigate families and the broader community.
“I tell students you can create a future for yourself with endless possibilities if you just love yourself, respect yourself, and invest in your learning,” Stephens said. “I really want the students to know that this is a place where they can come to be themselves and to create for themselves.”
The Harriett Ball Excellence in Teaching Award honors the legacy of Harriett Ball, a visionary educator and mentor teacher. A 35-year teaching veteran of Houston and Austin public schools, Ball incorporated chants, songs, and movement to get her students engaged and learning in the classroom. In late 1992, Ball began mentoring Teach for America corps member Dave Levin in Houston. Inspired by her methods, Levin co-founded the first KIPP school in 1994.
This year’s winners learned that they were selected during a surprise announcement at the KIPP School Summit, which brought together more than 3,000 KIPP community members to learn from one another, mark the 30th anniversary of the founding of KIPP Public Schools, and recommit to KIPP’s mission of delivering a joyful, academically excellent education for all KIPP students.
About KIPP Northern California
Together with families and communities, KIPP Public Schools Northern California creates joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and create a more just world. KIPP Northern California has 21 schools in 7 cities educating elementary, middle, and high school students. Located in East Palo Alto, Oakland, Redwood City, San Francisco, San José, San Lorenzo, and now Stockton!
About KIPP
KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of 275 public charter schools dedicated to preparing students for success in college and life. KIPP schools are part of the free public school system and enrollment is open to all students. Started in 1994 as a middle school program, KIPP has since expanded to enroll nearly 125,000 students in pre-K through high school, and it operates schools in 21 states and Washington, D.C.
Contact:
Maria Krauter
KIPP Northern California
maria.krauter@kippnorcal.org
(510) 529-5174
