Statewide (three scholarships awarded)
This scholarship was established in honor of Dr. A. Craig Phillips who served as State Superintendent of North Carolina for twenty years from 1968–1988. He instituted state-supported kindergarten for all North Carolina children, secured the first state money earmarked to improve reading programs in early grades, expanded programs for exceptional children, oversaw the development of the Basic Education Program and Career Development Plan, and expanded employment for teachers to ten months per year. The A. Craig Phillips Honored Educator Scholarship pays tribute to the legacy of an outstanding North Carolinian who spent his life finding ways to strengthen administrators, empower teachers, and motivate parents to support education for all children.