The Henry Salvatori Prize for Excellence in Teaching
The Henry Salvatori Prize for Excellence in Teaching
In response to the widespread decline in American K-12 education, the late Henry Salvatori established a permanent endowment at Hillsdale College to recognize exceptional classroom teaching nationwide. A longtime friend of the College, Mr. Salvatori admired Hillsdale’s classical liberal arts curriculum and its principled refusal of federal taxpayer subsidies.
Due to a growing number of high quality applications received, the Salvatori Prize is now expanding to recognize a Salvatori Winner and other runners-up. A $40,000 award is made payable to the winning school’s tax-exempt 501(c)(3) institution, along with accompanying certificate, signage, and digital marks. The award money may be used for books, equipment, and other educational materials. It may not be applied to salaries, stipends, or endowments.
Runners-up will also receive an award certificate and a monetary prize for use in the purchase of curricular materials.
DOWNLOAD BROCHURE Salvatori Application
Award Criteria
Applicants are evaluated in the areas listed below, as outlined in Hillsdale College’s Best Practices for K-12 Schools:
I. Governance. Boards exist to serve, execute, and protect the mission of a school, governing according to processes that empower and hold accountable the head of school.
II. Leadership. The head of school manages the daily life of the school, fostering the school's classical mission, leading a strong team of faculty, managing the business functions of the organization, and communicating well with the school community.
III. Curriculum. Curriculum provides students with a well-rounded education in the liberal arts and sciences, with instruction in moral character and civic virtue. It is vertically and horizontally aligned, so that students progress toward a deep and broad understanding year by year.
IV. Pedagogy. Teachers are deeply learned in their subjects and communicate with clarity and care. They are firm and kind leaders in the classroom.
V. Culture. The school’s culture encourages all within it to pursue moral and intellectual virtue, the understanding of which is grounded in the classical tradition.
Eligibility
All public and private schools with teaching that draws upon the best traditions of Western education and have an associated 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization are eligible to apply. For more information on eligibility requirements and evaluation criteria, please refer to the application. For a copy of Hillsdale's K-12 Best Practices, email [email protected].
Previous Salvatori Prize Winners
The schools below are recent winners of the Henry Salvatori Prize for Excellence in Teaching. Visit the "School Locations" page to view a map of recent Salvatori Prize winners.
- Atlanta Classical Academy, 2023 Salvatori Prize winner
- Treasure Valley Classical Academy, 2022 Salvatori Prize winner
- Seven Oaks Classical School, 2022 Salvatori Prize winner
- Sacred Heart Academy, 2021 Salvatori Prize winner
- Golden View Classical Academy, 2020 Salvatori Prize winner
About Henry Salvatori
As an immigrant to the United States, Henry Salvatori viewed America as the land of opportunity, and his life of hard work and principled convictions embodied the American spirit. As founder of the Western Geophysical Company, he developed important new oil exploration technology. Throughout his life, he invested the rewards of his enterprise
in projects that teach young people about America’s founding principles and institutions.
Mr. Salvatori deeply desired to help young Americans gain an understanding of individual rights, limited government, and the moral foundations of American constitutionalism. His extraordinary generosity toward Hillsdale College established the Henry Salvatori Chair in History and the Henry Salvatori Prize for Excellence in Teaching.