Kelly Education Awards $5,000 Prizes to Winners, Adds Runner-Up Honors with $1,000 Bonuses
Kelly Education awarded $5,000 bonuses to national Substitute Educators of the Year recipients, Esther Yardumian-Smyth and Celia Effrig, and donated $1,500 to each honoree’s chosen school. For the first time, the program formally recognized four runner-ups, each receiving a $1,000 bonus and $500 school donation.
1. Program Expansion
In the 2026 iteration, Kelly Education expanded its annual Substitute Educator of the Year Awards to include formal recognition of runner-ups. Historically honoring two national winners, the program now awards four runner-ups with $1,000 each and $500 donations to their chosen schools.
2. National Winners
Esther Yardumian-Smyth, a substitute teacher with over 30 years of experience serving South Carolina schools, and Celia Effrig, a paraeducator with three years at Auburn’s Yarbrough Elementary, each received a $5,000 bonus plus $1,500 donated to a school of their choice.
3. Runner-Up Honorees
The inaugural runner-up cohort includes Trina Kohler from Utah’s Wasatch County School District and Keshaun Henry of New Jersey’s Walter M. Schirra Elementary. Each received a $1,000 bonus alongside a $500 school donation, reflecting the program’s broadened recognition framework.
4. Corporate Commitment to Educators
Kelly Education, a division of Kelly Services, delivers workforce solutions across the education sector, reinforcing its mission to support educators and maintain classroom continuity through incentives and professional recognition.
