Two instructors at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts have been awarded $500 prizes as part of Arvest Bank’s “We Love Teachers” campaign, according to a news release.
The teachers are Dr. Neil Oatsvall, arts and humanities department chair, and Dr. Patrycja Krakowiak, a life sciences instructor.
“A total of 160 awards, totaling $80,000, are being given this year throughout Arvest’s footprint,” the release said.
According to its Facebook page, within the last five years, Arvest Bank has awarded $247,000 to 494 teachers within its four-state footprint.
On Oct. 5, the Arvest initiative to honor educators was launched and nominations were accepted via the Arvest Bank Facebook page, the release said.
“Arvest celebrates these teachers during this season and every season. We hope this prize makes their jobs a little easier. We also want to salute all the hardworking teachers in all the communities we serve. We know how much teachers mean to our children and the vital roles they play,” Franklin Bass, community bank president for Arvest Bank in Hot Springs, said in the release.