Woodbine’s Jill Ridder receives national honor
Iowa’s 2025 Milken Educator Award Recipient presented with $25,000 prize
Submitted by the Milken Education Foundation
Celebrate! Elevate! Activate!
The 2025 class of Milken Educator Award recipients traveled from every corner of the country to attend the Milken Educator Awards Forum, “Milken Educators Leading the Way,” held June 12-14 in Washington, D.C. The event provided a powerful opportunity for honorees to network, learn to take their impact to the next level, and be celebrated at the Spotlight of Excellence Gala in deserved celebrity fashion.
Milken Educator Awards Founder Lowell Milken hosted the 2025 Awardees, officially recognizing Iowa Milken Educator Award recipient Jill Ridder with her unrestricted $25,000 cash prize following her surprise notification in January.
“Each 2025 Milken Educator embodies the steadfast leader, mentor and guide every student deserves,” said Lowell Milken. “From the inaugural class of twelve outstanding California educators, the Milken Educator Network is now over 3,000-strong, representing diverse communities across the country. We celebrate the induction of 27 professionals who are building a brighter future for thousands of young Americans and our nation itself.”
The all-expenses-paid trip to D.C. and $25,000 cash prize were part of each educator’s Award, which provides lifetime membership to the national Milken Educator Network, powerful mentorship and professional development opportunities, and access to a brain trust of over 3,000 Milken Educators working to shape the future of K-12 education.
The 2025-26 season marked more than $76 million in individual financial prizes and more than $146 million invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall.
