Nominations sought for outstanding Elgin-area black educators

For the first time, Elgin's Black History Family Festival will honor outstanding black teachers and educators in February.

Nominations are being sought for top black educators from within Elgin Community College District 509.

The theme for the 2017 festival, now in its 12th year, is celebrating the African-American experience in and contributions toward education, said Sue Olafson, a family festival board member.

In previous years, the festival has recognized black students who might become future leaders, nominated by their school principals.

"This is the first year we are looking for top educator nominations," Olafson said. "When we consider our theme annually, we look at what is going on nationally. There is a national organization that is addressing the crisis in education from an African-American experience. We wanted to more positively focus on the local successes that we have."

Olafson said there are several notable black educators in the Elgin area.

Among them are Elgin Community College President David Sam; Phyllis Folarin, a retired teacher and administrator for Elgin Area School District U-46, former ECC board member, and founder and president of the Black History Family Festival; and U-46 school board member Traci O'Neal Ellis.

The festival will run from 1 to 5 p.m. Feb. 4 at the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N Grove Ave, Elgin. For updates and details on nominating educators, visit bhffelgin.org.

"We've partnered with Gail Borden Public Library for all of those years," Olafson said. "They are a phenomenal partner and have kindly provided us with the space to really take our message public. We're going to be working with them to develop the theme a little further in the coming months."