Educating students and strengthening communities: The 2009 MetLife Ambassadors In Education.

The article discusses the Ambassadors in Education awards for middle school and high school teachers. The awards were created in 2003 by the National Civic League and MetLife Foundation to recognize teachers who create successful relationships between their students, those students' families, and the communities in which the schools are located. The qualifications for the awards,which center on partnerships with community organizations and businesses which foster both academic excellence and civic engagement by students, are given. A list is presented of the 2009 winners of the award, and descriptions of the programs and activities for which they were cited are given.