Nominate an educator for HEB Excellence award, cash prizes
Awards from the 2025 H-E-B Excellence in Education ceremony ready to be handed out. Photo courtesy of H-E-B
Nominations are open for the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards, one of Texas’ largest monetary awards programs for public school professionals. Teachers, counselors, and principals are eligible to win cash prizes for themselves and their schools, while early childhood centers, school boards, and school districts can receive cash awards in recognition of their exceptional contributions.
Nominate your favorite educator at the link for the 2026 awards through Sept. 30, 2025.
Since 2002, the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards program, which recognizes educators who go the extra mile to serve their students and their communities, has given out almost $15 million in funding to finalists, winners, and their schools.
“The H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards celebrate the transformative impact of Texas educators who pour their hearts into empowering students and uplifting communities,” said H-E-B Public Affairs manager Jill Reynolds in a media release from the Texas-based grocery store chain. “A nomination is more than recognition: It’s an invitation to unlock resources and elevate the work of exceptional educators, schools, and the neighborhoods they serve.”
All state-certified public school educators currently teaching in Texas are eligible for the awards program, as well as Texas early childhood education centers/schools. Eligibility is not dependent on proximity to H-E-B store locations.
Nomination categories are:
- teacher
- school counselor
- principal
- early childhood facility
- school board
- school district
Educators who are nominated will receive an invitation to apply to the awards program before Nov. 2, 2025. Finalists and winners will be selected by a panel of judges composed of educators, administrators, and community leaders across the state. Ten winners—six teachers, two counselors, and two principals—along with a winning early childhood facility, public school board, and two school districts will be announced at an awards ceremony in Houston in the spring of 2026. Each award recipient’s school will also receive a matching grant.
In 2025, the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards program distributed $782,000 in cash and grants to educators and schools.