top of page
What We Do
Our Story
Creative Freedom Awards was born out of my experiences teaching elementary school in Chapel Hill and Durham. As a teacher, I was in constant awe of my creative, inspiring, and resourceful colleagues. These phenomenal educators wowed me with their expertise and humbled me with their generosity. I loved our spontaneous conversations that would result in new ideas or different perspectives.
My colleagues were my greatest resource and inspiration while teaching. Unfortunately, opportunities for teachers to truly connect and freely collaborate are limited. I wanted to create a local platform for teachers to share their best ideas and ask their biggest questions in a fun and informal setting. This aspiration has led to giving awards to elementary school teachers in the Triangle doing inspiring work in their classrooms (Creative Freedom Awards) and having them share an instructional idea of their choice at a free back-to-school celebration for teachers in the Triangle (Teacher Inspiration & Resources Fair).
Even though Creative Freedom Awards started in January 2013, our grassroots approach to improving and advancing our profession has deeply resonated with teachers and community members here in the Triangle and across the country. We are heartened by their support and encouragement, and look forward to seeing how teachers in the Triangle will shape the work we do each year.
Dinh Phan
Founder and Director, Creative Freedom Awards
Creative Freedom Awards is a 501(c)(3) teacher-led organization which celebrates and shares the creative and inspiring work of elementary school teachers in the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, NC). Founded in January 2013 and based in Durham, our organization offers a fun, grassroots approach to advancing the practice and profession of teaching. We directly address issues of teacher morale, performance, and retention by:
-
awarding creative and innovative ideas for instruction;
-
sharing free teacher-created and teacher-approved resources;
-
promoting a culture of spontaneous collaboration across grade levels, schools, and districts;
-
and providing a platform for teachers to make an even greater impact in their field.
Creative Freedom Awards is named after the awards we give to elementary school teachers in the Triangle who are doing creative and inspiring work in their classrooms. For our inaugural year, 16 Creative Freedom Award recipients will receive a cash award and the opportunity to present an instructional idea of their choice at the 2013 Teacher Inspiration & Resources Fair, a free event we are hosting for elementary school teachers in the Triangle to network and share their best ideas.
Our Team
Dinh Phan, Founder & Director
Dinh believes teachers are among the most creative, inspiring, and resourceful people in the world. She started Creative Freedom Awards as a platform for teachers to connect and share what matters to them. Dinh earned her A.B. in English and NC Elementary Education licensure from Duke University. She earned her Ed.M. in Learning & Teaching from the Harvard Graduate School of Education with the support of the Woodrow Wilson-Rockefeller Brothers Fund Fellowship for Aspiring Teachers of Color. A certified AIG teacher, Dinh has taught 5th grade LEAP and 3rd grade in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and K-2 AIG in Durham Public Schools. She is currently the 2012-13 Duke Program in Education Fellow. Dinh will begin her doctoral program in Educational Leadership and Development at Boston University this fall.
Phoebe Lee, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Phoebe knew at an early age that she wanted to be a teacher. To follow her dreams, she received her B.S. in Social Studies Education and American Sign Language Summa Cum Laude from New York University. She then earned her Ed.M. in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Phoebe is certified to teach K-12 in NC and has since taught Middle School Social Studies at Durham Public Schools. She is also working on her AIG licensure while obtaining a J.D. from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Phoebe is most excited about the opportunity to truly support and bring together teachers in the goal of celebrating and recognizing their creative work and impact.
Advisory Team:
Our advisory team is comprised of outstanding educators and community leaders who share a great respect for teachers and the teaching profession.
Zoila Airall, Asst. Vice President of Student Affairs for Campus Life, Duke University
Sandy Dang, Founder, Asian American LEAD; Board Member, Vietnam Education Foundation
Alissa Griffith, Lecturing Fellow in Education, Duke University (Retired Public School Teacher)
Janice Jackson, Executive Director, Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education
Sam Miglarese, Director, Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership, Duke University
Kristen Stephens, Director, Academically/Intellectually Gifted Licensure Program, Duke University
Katherine Worley, 5th Grade LEAP Teacher, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
bottom of page