Northwest Teacher Shavon Brewer Recognized With Golden Apple Award

EVERGREEN PARK, IL—Shavon Brewer, a fifth-grade math teacher at Northwest Elementary School in Evergreen Park, got the surprise of a lifetime last week when she was presented with a 2026 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Students and staff hid backstage behind the curtain in the lunchroom. When Brewer came to pick up her class, the curtain was opened, revealing colleagues and students.

Following a highly competitive process, the 2026 teaching award recipients were selected from nearly 600 nominations of 4th-8th-grade teachers. Brewer was one of 10 finalists in Illinois.

Brewer is one of 10 teacher award recipients in Illinois.

The Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching honor outstanding teachers for having lasting, positive effects on students’ lives and school communities.

Alan Mather, president of Golden Apple, Northwest Principal Tiffany Myers and D124 Superintendent Dr. Jenna Woodland greeted Brewer from the stage.

“This year’s recipients are making that impact every day through their commitment to their students and their craft. As they join the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, they will support and mentor aspiring teachers in The Golden Apple Scholars and Accelerators Program in Illinois, helping strengthen future teachers across the state.”

At the beginning of the school year, Brewer noticed that many of her students struggled with confidence in math and that anxiety often hindered participation and growth.

“I believe that effective teaching begins with understanding what my students know,” Brewer said, “planning intentionally to meet their needs, implementing instruction that allows for exploration and discussion, and using ongoing assessments to refine my next steps.”

Northwestern University generously provides a spring sabbatical to award recipients at no cost. Each recipient receives a $5,000 cash award. Award recipients become Fellows of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, a community of educators who play an important role in preparing the next generation of teachers in the Golden Apple Scholars and Accelerators programs—initiatives dedicated to addressing the teacher shortage in Illinois.