Cape teacher Robert Harrod nominated for LifeChanger award

Cape Henlopen High School biology and AVID teacher Robert Harrod has been nominated for the 2014-15 national LifeChanger of the Year Award.

LifeChanger of the Year is a national program that annually recognizes and rewards K-12 school district educators and employees who are making a significant difference in the lives of students by exemplifying excellence, positive influence and leadership.

Harrod was nominated by his colleague Eileen Springfield. “Not only is he a one-of-a-kind science teacher here at Cape Henlopen High School who makes biology easy for the ninth-graders he teaches, he is a generous, caring man who purposely changed the lives of one of his student’s parents this past fall,” says Springfield.”Mr. Harrod knew that the family had fallen on tough financial times and they needed reliable transportation, so he gave them a used car he had with no strings attached.”

As one of the school’s AVID specialists, Harrod spends many hours taking students to visit colleges and helping them plan for their futures. Each school year, the LifeChanger of the Year program receives hundreds of nominations. Ten winners are chosen by the selection committee to receive cash awards that are split between the individual winners and their schools. The national grand prize award is $10,000. The top three winners are also honored at a national awards ceremony.

Nominees must be full-time school employees. Award winners are selected based on the following criteria: a proven ability to make a beneficial difference in the lives of students, an ability to positively add to the development of the school's and/or district’s atmosphere, leadership in his or her activities at the school and/or district level, a proven record of excellent performance at the professional level, and commitment to producing a nurturing atmosphere.

Winners will be announced in spring 2015. To view Harrod’s LifeChanger of the Year nominee profile, go to www.LifeChangeroftheYear.com.