With inspiration from the Olympics in Atlanta this year, the College of Education has made “Champions and Leaders” the theme for its third annual Celebration of Excellence in Education.

“Stamina and quality are needed in the Olympics, and those same qualities are needed in leaders of education,” said Marlene Doby, principal of King Elementary School in Des Moines. She will be the keynote speaker for the celebration on April 30.

The Celebration of Excellence in Education is a program held to bring students, faculty, staff and friends of Iowa State’s College of Education together. Individuals who have received awards, scholarships or honors throughout the past year will be recognized.

In keeping with the Olympic theme, a medallion of the lamp of learning will be given to those recognized.

Norene Daly, Dean of the College of Education, said, “These people represent the excellence in education we think of when we think of Iowa State University. This gives us the opportunity to honor all of those people.”

“We’re not actually bestowing the awards. We are recognizing those who have received awards and recognitions throughout the year,” said Cathy Curtis, the college relations coordinator.

Curtis said one alum, Joan Wilcox, is coming all the way from Germany.

Wilcox, the recipient of the Jordan L. Larson Award for excellence in educational administration, works for a United States Department of Defense school in Germany which educates children of those who serve or are affiliated with the military.

The award is named for the late Jordan L. Larson who was the superintendent of Ames schools.

Students who have received a Christina Hixson Scholarship will also be recognized at the program.

Doby said, “We need leaders and we need people who are standing out with new ideas. People are pushing and trying to make that final team. Because everybody is pushing, it makes a championship team. We need that in education today.”

The celebration will be held at 7 p.m. in Benton Auditorium in the Scheman Building. It will be followed by a dessert reception at 8:15 in the Brunnier Art Gallery.

Ann Thompson, chair of the department of curriculum instruction, and R. Bruce Thompson, director of Ames Lab, will be the masters of ceremonies.