Linda Shirley, fourth grade teacher at New Lebanon School, received the 2016 U. S. CHAMPS Teacher of the Year Award from the Marshall Legacy Institute on Oct. 26 in Washington, D. C.
The Marshall Legacy Institute is a non-profit organization based in Arlington, Va., which continues the legacy of Gen. George C. Marshall and the Marshall Plan by helping war-torn countries help themselves to regain hope, growth and stability through the eradication of landmines. CHAMPS is the student program of MLI that teaches about the global issue and empowers children to “make a difference” by helping to sponsor a landmine detection dog. New Lebanon School and Ms. Shirley have been involved with the CHAMPS program since it came to Greenwich in 2006. New Lebanon School, in conjunction with a private foundation, sponsored a dog they named “Shadow,” which has been saving lives in Lebanon. Ms. Shirley and Ms. Jahic from Bosnia do SKYPE calls with their respective students to promote awareness and understanding.
