The Association of Educational Publishers (AEP, formerly EdPress) honored the Center for its college-based anti-bias initiative by giving its publication for higher education, 10 Ways to Fight Hate on Campus, the AEP Distinguished Achievement Award in the special publications category.

Released in September 2003, more than 50,000 copies have been distributed at no charge to colleges and universities across the nation.

Tolerance.org, the Center's Internet-based project that seeks to awaken all people to the problems of hate and prompt them to action, won the 2004 Webby Award in the activism category when the awards were announced on May 12.

"We Don't Use that Language Anymore," from the Spring 2003 issue of Teaching Tolerance magazine, was also honored with a Distinguished Achievement Award for its design excellence.

The Distinguished Achievement Award is among the highest honors in the field of educational publishing. Entries are first reviewed by screening judges, with a final judging panel then selecting up to four finalists per category. Judges are chosen from a national pool of educational publishing professionals, including writers, editors, designers, educators, curriculum specialists, product developers and marketing directors.

Hailed as "the online Oscars" by Time Magazine, The Webby Awards is the leading international honor for websites. The awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a global organization that includes over 480 members, an intellectually diverse group made up of musicians, Internet leaders, political columnists and CEOs.

"These are exciting honors for not only for the Center, but also for everyone who works tirelessly to raise the consciousness of our society," said Jennifer Smith-Holladay, interim director of the Center's tolerance education programs.

Center won other awards
The Center has won several Distinguished Achievement Awards in the past for articles, editorials, design, publications and video-and-text kits, including the 2003 Distinguished Achievement Award for its video Mighty Times: The Legacy of Rosa Parks. Its Tolerance.org site also won the Webby in 2002.

In 1995, Teaching Tolerance magazine received AEP's top honor, the Golden Lamp Award for Excellence in Educational Journalism.

Accepting the AEP awards on behalf of the Center at the Educational Publishing Summit here on June 8 was Janel Bell, director of marketing and public relations for the Center's tolerance programs.

"Our hope is to teach America's young people to respect and understand one another," she said. "We are humbled that our peers in the educational press have honored our mission — and the high quality of our materials."

SPLC Report
June 2004