Community Sharing for the Holidays

We learn from a young age that sharing is to “partake of, use, experience, occupy or enjoy things and experiences with others.” You can feel a strong sense of belonging when sharing in your community. And when businesses adopt these practices, their business will grow exponentially!

From farmer’s markets to local theater performances, supporting local activities show your interest in your local community. When companies get together as a community, take pride in others’ work and increase their camaraderie, they will discover the true meaning of the holiday spirit.

Did you know…

Every time you pick up a coffee at your local café, grab lunch at the mom-and-pop shop or buy a new bag from a local store, you’re making an impact in your community. In fact, for every dollar spent at a small business in the US, approximately 67 cents stays in the local community.

A holiday party involving community sharing with businesses in a neighborhood.

Community Sharing Events

Events help communities to get together and form a bond. By participating in local activities, businesses can give back to their neighborhoods and create awareness about community needs. These events are also great for meeting new people and finding new customers.

There are many reasons to sponsor a community event. You can improve your neighborhood, raise funds for a local cause or charity and celebrate the local culture. Best of all, you know that everyone will come together to attend. Create your event team from your employees and businesses around you.

Holiday community events are a great place to begin, as they garner even more attention. As with anything that has a holiday theme, sharing is always a central theme.

Identification and Community Sharing

Name badges, customized ribbons and many other products will help you during community events. In addition, they will let you reach out to your neighbors and businesses to let them know who you are and that you are there to help.

Here are three products with ways they will help your community.

ADHESIVE BADGES

Colored adhesive name badges to write names on for a community party.

Use adhesive badges for quick identification at your next community event. Each person writes their name, and the adhesive holds the tags to their clothing. Consider throwing a party for your community businesses where everyone comes together and shares products and services with their neighbor businesses. We should set this up for our neighborhood and share name tags!

BADGE HOLDERS

A vinyl badge holder with a printed insert with the name of a block captain for a community luncheon.

Community recognition can happen anywhere: school art shows or neighborhood events, so be prepared with quick identification. A low-cost option, badge holders, allow you to print inserts that slide into a plastic sleeve. You can select anything from a deluxe magnetic fastener to lanyards.

BLANK BADGE RIBBONS

Blank badge ribbon in deep gold with a handwritten note for a guest pass at a community sharing event.

Make identification fun with blank badge ribbons as pin-on name tags, or use them for your next block party. Create unique awards and passes with custom imprinted badge ribbons attached to contestants and given to guests.

Holding community events is perfect for promoting positive change in your neighborhood. And there is ample opportunity during your gathering to provide improvement to your community and network with your neighbors. Work on strengthening your community bonds and bringing your community closer together by celebrating your differences.

Products for Community Events:

Discover additional products on nametag.com

Honoring A Veteran and Their Service

No matter the time of the year, honoring a veteran is an age-old tradition.

So, why not make sure that these veterans know how special they are? Here are some great ideas to make any veteran know just how grateful you are for their service.

Custom Award Plaques

While it may seem a little thing, designing a custom plaque for a well-deserving veteran will help them understand what their service meant to you. From choosing the best wood and finish to creating all the little details on the engraved plate, these awards are one of a kind.

Add names, titles, designations and choose an image or graphic to go with the text. Remember that these award plaques are meant to be just as unique as each veteran is. From an “Award of Excellence” to a commemorative message, these plaques will make any veteran appreciate your time.

Another great idea is to recognize the time spent by a veteran’s loved ones. Use poetry or other passages to help these family members and friends know how much they are noticed and loved. Some ideas could include “The Military Wife” or “A Soldier’s Prayer.”

But, no matter what you decide on for the text for these unique custom plaques, remember that your veteran deserves something that will fit their personality and service.

Executive Name Wedges

Each solid wood desk wedge comes with an attached metal name plate, which is personalized with up to two lines of text and a logo or graphic. So, add the military branch logo or something that symbolizes the veteran’s service. From a ship to a boot and sword, make sure to customize these decorative name plates to fit each veteran for which you are shopping.

And, no matter which material you choose for the desk wedge, it is sure to please your recipient. From a dark walnut to glossy black, these name plates are strikingly beautiful and fit on any desk or shelf.

So, whichever product you choose, the veteran in your life is sure to enjoy your thoughtful gift of remembrance.

Education Continues To Celebrate Excellence

Due to Coller Industries Incorporated’s continual support and donations, we were able to be a part of the “Excel Evening of Honors” on April 13th. Granite Education Foundation presents awards each year to exceptional teachers and administrators working in their district.

It all starts with the smallest of donations: TIME.

Since Granite Education Foundation’s inception in 1988, educator recognition and support has been a key priority. The Excel Awards are a prestigious honor given to the top 10 educators of Granite School District and has been sponsored by Granite Education Foundation since the beginning. Students, administrators, parents and colleagues nominate educators that exemplify the values of Granite School District.

“Watching the videos of each teacher and their stories and how they make a difference in the kid’s lives was the best part of the evening,” Hannah, Customer Service Manager and Coller Industries Incorporated, said.

Being a professional educator isn’t an easy job. Sometimes it can even be a thankless job. But, thanks to these amazing teachers and administrators, public education continues to excel.

Each year, GEF supporters gather to recognize outstanding teachers, administrators and community members whose personal commitment and contribution impacts 68,000 students in the Granite School District. The Excel Award is bestowed upon nine teachers and one administrator that have been nominated by school administrators, colleagues or students.

Here are the 2018 Excel Award winners.
Congratulations to these incredible educators!

(Top to bottom; left to right.)

Leah Tarrant – Taylorsville High School
Lori Lindford – Bennion Elementary
Jill Thackeray – Skyline High School
Jodi Larson – Upland Terrace School
Stephanie Varoz – Crestview Elementary
Amy Winder – Elk Run Elementary
Katie Pearce – Rolling Meadows Elementary
Brandon Kerby – Cyprus High School
Janice Wayman – Hartvigsen School
Archer Birrell – Hillside Elementary

These individuals are then put through a rigorous review and observation process by experienced education specialists who ultimately identify 10 teachers and administrators from all over the district. In mid April, up to 300 individuals from Granite School District, supporting businesses, community members, and local leaders gather to recognize and honor these 10 winners in the Night of Honors a dinner and award ceremony.

As Coller Industries makes generous donations each year to the foundation, we were able to attend this gala not only as distinguished guests but also as an award presenter. After explaining Coller Industries to the attendees, Hannah proudly presented Archer Birrell, a 3rd-grade teacher at Hillside Elementary, with his Excel Award.

While our role is small in comparison to each of these educators, we are beyond happy that we get to take part in this fantastic award opportunity. In a nutshell, “We donate money for clothes and shoes for the kids in the Granite School District. Then we get to honor these great teachers for their excellent work by presenting the award on behalf of Coller Industries and the Granite Education Foundation,” Hannah said.

The Granite Education Foundation Excel Award

Each Excel Award recipient received a sculpture, designed by local Utah sculptor Matt Glenn. This sculpture comes in two parts. The bottom portion has the four Granite Education Foundation hand icons from their logo. Each hand symbolized educate, give, volunteer and advocate. The top portion is a student’s hand reaching for a teacher’s hand. This piece is also reversible so that the teacher’s hand is extending up toward the student’s hand.

“Educational awards, such as the GEF Excel Award, are awesome because children are the future,” Hannah said. “Teachers are important and deserve this recognition for what they do for our children.”

And, we agree. These teachers are very deserving of this prestigious award. We want to thank these teachers and all the others who work endlessly for the welfare of our kids. You all make a huge difference!

Creating Unity Through Education

Granite Education Foundation (GEF) and Coller Industries Incorporated are working together, again!

Due to our donations and continual support, Granite Education Foundation invited Coller Industries to attend this year’s Excel Evening of Honors. The “EXCEL Evening of Honors” was held on April 21st.

Every year, Granite Education Foundation supporters gather to recognize outstanding teachers, administrators and community members whose personal commitment and contribution impacts 67,000 students in the Granite School District.

The annual EXCEL Award publicly honors and recognizes educators who raise the bar of their profession. The award recognizes teaching that incites intellectual curiosity in students, engages them thoroughly in the enterprise of learning, and has a lifelong impact.

Winners are nominated by school administrators, parents, colleagues and students through an intensive application process. A selection committee then reviews each application. Members of this Excel Selection Committee then surprise each winner at their school with the announcement. This interaction was recorded and shared at the presentation event.

The committee received over a thousand nominations and had to select only ten winners.

Gary Coller, President of Coller Industries, said, “I look forward to this every year, it’s an honor to be around great educators and dedicated professionals who support them. (With ten great teachers honored), and I was able to present an award to a teacher whose mother has also been recognized as a teacher of the year.”

Emily Lehnardt believes that children are perfect candidates for her to “awaken” the human spirit to love life-long learning. She feels children exude great curiosity and seemingly limitless creativity.

Emily applies Dr. Einstein’s teaching philosophy in her classroom. She believes Dr. Einstein lived in creative expression and knowledge. His creativity through experiments gave the world cutting-edge information.

“Ms. Lehnardt is exactly what my son needed in first grade. Her passion for teaching and learning shines through and really inspired him to love going to school.” -Parent

Ramona Braunberger, Marketing Manager for Coller Industries, said, “Emily is the educator you want (for your child). It is very apparent that she cares about the kids and is excited about teaching.”

During the gala, each winner received a special “Excel Award,” a gift basket, a monetary award, and other generous gifts to recognize their achievements.

“Every year we have the phenomenal opportunity to recognize educators who exemplify the values and mission of Granite School District,” said Dr. Martin W. Bates, Granite School District Superintendent.

“These individuals have demonstrated exceptional teaching skills and a commitment to student success. In addition, they provide meaningful contributions to their school community, and are constantly seeking ways to improve the educational experience of their students,” said Dr. Bates.

Congratulations to the 2017 GEF Excel Winners!

Emily Lehnardt – Cottonwood Elementary
Sheri Coats – Armstrong Academy
Sarah Wilson – South Kearns Elementary
Zachary Layton – Eisenhower Jr High
Wendee Johnston – Whittier Elementary
Yvonne Miller – Fremont Elementary
Rhonda Small-Oakes – Hartvigsen
Anita Ardi – Churchill Jr High
Callah Morrey – West Kearns Elementary
Craig Stauffer – Hunter High

Why Honor Teachers?

Research shows that students with high-performing teachers can progress three times as fast as students with low-performing teachers. Effective educators can influence the climate of the entire school. Their commitment, passion, expertise, and creativity are infectious. Students love them because they make learning fun and engaging. Administrators love them because they get results. Parents love them because they affirm their student’s potential.

In the face of increasing class sizes and insufficient funding and resources, the majority of Granite District teachers are dipping into their own pockets and their own time to bridge the gap for their students. Educators are finding progressive and engaging solutions to institutional problems and changing the world, one child at a time.

Coller Industries is proud to be a part of this process. While our role is small in comparison to these educators, we are still happy that we get to take part. Our children’s education has a direct impact on our business as we like to focus on working in our community. Helping out our local community is a large part of what defines the generosity of Coller Industries Incorporated.