School & Community Awards

Dr. Paul G. Orr Award

The Paul G. Orr Award is presented to a very few select individuals who, in the opinion of Association members, have made an outstanding contribution to education in the region. Dr. Paul G. Orr, Dean Emeritus of the College of Education at the University of Alabama, shaped many debates about the role of education in society. In these exchanges, he engaged persons associated with the U.S. Department of State, the Office of Overseas Schools and American-sponsored schools worldwide.

In every generation, there are those whose vision broadens our own, transforming the way we see the world. Dr. Paul G. Orr was such a person: a man who pointed us in new directions and built bridges for us to cross. He was a leader in the field of international education and an educator of leaders. Over the course of his remarkable career spanning four decades, Dr. Orr proved to be one of the most articulate and reasoned voices within American-sponsored overseas schools. He left an indelible mark on teachers, administrators and boards working in those schools through his writing, teaching, research and lectures, and as dean of the College of Education at the University of Alabama. He helped to mold the American schools that exist overseas today and is widely considered the leading authority on the subject.

Dr. Orr left an extraordinary legacy to the Association of American Schools of Central America, Colombia, the Caribbean and Mexico, and to all who care about education: students, teachers, parents, school board members, administrators and staff, policy makers, the public in general and, above all, overseas schools.

Paul G. Orr Award Recipients

1987 Dr. Shelby Counce
1988 Dr. Fred Vescolani
1989 Dr. Burton Fox
1990 Dr. Joseph Johnston
1991 Dr. John Schreck
1992 Dr. Mary Wayte
1993 Dr. Ronald Marino
1994 Dr. James Stiltner
1995 Dr. Ray Bruce
1996 Dr. Ernest Boyer
1997 Dr. Art Chaffee
1999 Dr. Salvadore Rinaldi
2000 The Overseas Schools Advisory Council
2001 Dr. Jeffrey Keller
2002 Dr. Keith Miller
2003 Mrs. Mary Virginia Sánchez
2004 Colegio Nueva Granada
2005 Mrs. Carolyn Brunner
2007 International School Services
2008 Dr. Barrie Jo Price
2009 Mr. Jack Delman
2010 Ms. Marie France Jean-Baptiste
2012 Children of Haiti Project
2013 Janet Heinze
2014 Dr. Ernie Mannino
2016 Mr. Robert Wilson / Dr. William Scotti
2017 Mr. Gerald Selitzer
2018 Mrs. Emma Gutiérrez de Salazar
2019 Mr. Tom Shearer
2020 Dr. Robin Heslip
2022 Mr. Mark Ulfers
2023 Dr. Sonia Keller
2024 Dr. Joe Nagy

Margaret Sanders International Schools Scholarship Fund

Margaret Sanders dedicated her life to advancing international schools through her work with Walsworth Publishing with a focus on helping students achieve their goals. The Margaret Sanders Foundation was established to fund educational opportunities for members of the overseas schools community that she found within our AAIE family.

The many Regional Associations such as AASSA, CEESA, EARCOS, Tri-Association, ECIS, etc. will continue to vet these applications by region to ensure each region puts their best applicant and one alternate forward for these prestigious scholarships. Students in Grade 12 (attending University next year) are eligible to apply.

2023 Recipient

Congratulations Tania Van der Linden, Senior from the American School Foundation of Monterrey for being selected as a 2022 Margaret Sanders Scholarship winner, in recognition of successfully demonstrating exceptional character strengths such as persistence, motivation, resourcefulness, as well as acceptance of other cultures and for displaying a genuine interest in, and a sustained commitment to the welfare of others.

2021 Recipient

Congratulations María Alejandra Woo, for being selected as a 2021 Margaret Sanders Scholarship winner from a very competitive pool of candidates from the Tri-Association and AAIE international schools!

María is a Senior at Lincoln International Academy in Managua, Nicaragua.

2019 Recipient

A United Voyage
By Chanmi Kim

As my years of high school head for the grand finale, I can not help but look around at times and exhale in satisfaction. Although we are all going our different ways, we have all finished this race together. Whether it was fighting tooth and nail for our grades, or defending the volleyball court, or painting our hearts out in the art department...we are all heading for graduation united.

As my years at high school eclipsed, I began to ponder and daydream about the incredible things that my generation has ahead of it. The news and the media do not seem as positive as I am, but as I look around at the tech-savvy coders, the artists, the musicians, the poets, the athletes, I can not help but feel a spark of blistering hope.

As a Senior, I have ultimately realized that as a generation, we have a long way ahead but we must remain hopeful that we will not fall into the perils of idleness and silence. I now understand that as we continue our education after graduation, we are proving a basic economic principle right: Doing the best things for ourselves, is making everyone better off.

I realize that when I step into the world and start my professional journey, I am not doing it only for myself, but as a representative of my generation. As my friends launch themselves into entrepreneurship, medicine, the arts or whatever they might be headed towards, we are all contributing to the clockwork of change. When I receive my diploma, it will be for those who could not, for those who did, and for those who will. At the end of it all, we can not afford to let each other down. We can not afford to give up on each other, for we are our only hope to make this world a more humane place.

Through my education, I will fight to hold myself up to the standard that the incoming change needs me to be at. There will be no waving of white flags because I advance this voyage with the hope that I am not doing this only for myself but for the united voice of a generation that fosters change. I plan to foster international collaboration through a nonprofit. I want to create an environment of innovation that knows no boundaries, and that relies upon the exploration of ideas across political borders.

I truly believe that the only way forward is united. Past generations have experienced war and division, now, however, let us thrive in unison and not wither in quarrel. I am excited to take my next steps and walk with a deep hope that we will change the surface of the globe, hand in hand, side by side.

The Emma Gutierrez Leadership Award

This award was created by the Association of American Schools in Mexico (ASOMEX), to honor the memory and legacy of Emma Gutierrez de Salazar, who served as the General Director of the American School of Tampico. Emma was a visionary leader who worked relentlessly to improve education in our region. The award is funded annually by ASOMEX and is set up to support women in achieving educational leadership roles.

Applicants must be women who are host country nationals from a Tri-Association regular member school. The committee will award up to 4,000.00 USD for the selected applicant to take a course at the Principals’ Training Center in Florida, or participate in course work from an accredited university in the United States.

The scholarship will cover tuition, hotel and flight expenses to take one course during the summer for a total of 3 university credits.

In order to be considered for the Emma Gutierrez Leadership Award the applicant must:

Be a host country national woman currently working in a school that is a regular member of the Tri-Association.
Be recommended for the scholarship in a letter from the Director/Superintendent of the school.
Prepare and submit a brief paper discussing why you are seeking the scholarship and what course(s) you plan to take if awarded the scholarship.
Prepare and submit a biography that includes a record of the applicant’s educational preparation and employment experience as part of the application. The biography should be written in third person.
The award will be presented at the Annual Educators’ Conference.

Note: Applications will be sent to the heads of the schools in the region in February of every year.

Emma Gutierrez Award Recipients:

2018: María de Lourdes García Martínez, MS Science Teacher of American School of Tampico.
2019: Karla Moya, Special education teacher from Country Day School in Costa Rica.
2020: Rocio Acevedo de la Garza of American School of Tampico.
2021: no award was presented due to the pandemic.
2022: Sheila Escobedo de Morales from Colegio Decroly Americano in Guatemala.
2023: Mrs. Cristina Vergara / Cristina is Head of Science for John F. Kennedy American School of Queretaro High School
2024: Ms. Beatriz Gomez, Assistant Principal / Secondary Math Teacher at the American Nicaraguan School

Logo Image

Logo Title

In This Section