Team Members: Joanne Avery, Stacy Blair, Billy Crank, Lynn Dingle, Charles Grose, Jan Murdoch, Floyd Nicholson, Bob Saul

Wanting to recognize outstanding schools in the Upstate region meeting central qualities of diversity, VALUED LIVES group members have established “The William ‘Bill’ T. Wylie VALUED LIves Award for School Excellence in Diversity” for the winning school that exhibited these qualities:

V—encourages value for personal expression and experience
A—fosters awareness and self-reflection
L—promotes learning and inclusive teaching
U—unites communities by involvement and service
E—demonstrates equity in the school’s programs, staff, and practices
D—engages in continuous dialogue and meaningful interactions

This school will have demonstrated that each of the students, their families, the teachers and support staff are “VALUED LIves” within the school and in the community by weaving these principles into their vision and mission and by promoting these principles beyond the walls of the school, demonstrating that all are important and have the potential to be significant contributors.

This award will be recognized as an additional award category in the annual Upstate Diversity Leadership Awards dinner, established by past DLI alum group, Inclusion Infusion, who developed the annual awards dinner as their capstone project in the fall of 2004.