Lewis Award Endowment Plans
Monsignor Gerald L. Lewis and Bishop Michael F. Burbidge
For the nineteen years of its existence, the Lewis Award for Excellence in Teaching and Lifetime Achievement in Catholic Education has sought to identify and honor outstanding educators in the Raleigh Diocesan School System. The Award was designed from inception to be a prestigious accolade to the Recipient and to the Finalists specifically, and to the Diocesan Schools in general. It is a vehicle to honor, in as meaningful a manner possible, those who excel at what they do.
The Award functions within, but is a separate entity from, the Diocese of Raleigh; and it receives no monetary support from the Diocese. Since its founding in 1992, it has been completely underwritten by private donations. With the permission of Bishop Burbidge, a campaign is in progress to build a permanent Lewis Award Endowment, not only to insure the Award’s future, but to allow the Award to develop presently unavailable opportunities to honor our dedicated teachers. We hope you will join us to make such opportunities possible.
1999-2000 Lewis Award Recipient, Mrs. Debbie Haggerty of Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, Rocky Mount, with husband John and Bishop Burbidge
The purpose of the Lewis Award Endowment is to offer superlative educational opportunities to our youth by attracting and retaining exceptional teachers for the Diocesan schools. Further, the Award strives to assist in the promotion of the Diocese of Raleigh Catholic schools as a nationally recognized outstanding school system. 100% of any donation to the Lewis Award Endowment goes into the Endowment corpus, and the corpus should not be invaded. A portion of the annual income from the Endowment is returned to the Endowment to assure its continued growth. The remaining annual income will be the source of funding for that year’s Award activities.
Mrs. Peggy DiFulvio, Principal of St. Mark School, Wilmington, and Dr. Robert Scripko, Principal of Our Lady of Lourdes School, Raleigh
Currently, Lewis Award Excellence in Teaching recipients receive an honorarium of $1500, and their schools receive $500 in the teacher’s honor. Finalists for the Award receive an honorarium of $250, and their school receives $250 in the Finalist honor. Among the plans on a “Wish List” for the Lewis Award are increases in the honorarium of the Recipient, the Finalists and their schools, when Endowment income allows.
Other Wish List ideas to be implemented as the Lewis Award Endowment grows include, but are not limited to:
- Increase the honorarium to Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients and inaugurate an honorarium to the Recipient’s school of choice.
- As long as they remain an active full time teacher in a Diocesan school, Recipients and Finalists will be given allocations at the beginning of each school year to purchase classroom supplies of their choosing.
- Establish a Fund to which Recipients and Finalists, while they remain an active full time teacher in a Diocesan school, may apply for tuition grants for Continuing Education courses, working toward advanced degrees and other such Enrichment programs.
- Establish a Fund to which Recipients and Finalists, upon commitment to a specified number of years and remaining an active full time teacher in the Diocesan school system, may apply for tuition grants to study full time to earn advanced degrees.
- Identify and develop other programs, honors and address needs in the Diocese of Raleigh School System as Endowment income allows.