SAN FRANCISCO, May 6, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Common Sense Media, the nation's leading nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to helping kids, parents, and teachers thrive with media and technology, today announced the honorees for the 2015 Common Sense Media Awards, to be held at the SFJazz Center in San Francisco at 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13, 2015.
The Common Sense Media Awards pay tribute to the innovative media creators, educators, policy makers, and visionaries who are transforming the way kids learn, grow, and thrive in a 24/7 digitally connected world. This event is Common Sense Media's annual fundraising gala that rotates among San Francisco, New York, and Washington, D.C.
Over the past 10 years, the Common Sense Media Awards have honored some of the most innovative minds in entertainment, public policy, and education technology, from former President Bill Clinton and filmmaker George Lucas to author J.K. Rowling and actor/educator LeVar Burton. This year's honorees are all about helping kids harness the power of technology for creative expression, learning, and making the world a better place. The recipients include:
- James G. Coulter, cofounder and CEO, TPG Capital, and chairman, Leading Education by Advancing Digital (LEAD) Commission, for the Educational Leadership Award;
- Ali Partovi and Hadi Partovi, tech entrepreneurs and cofounders, Code.org, for the 21st-Century Learning Award;
- Jason Collins, NBA and Stanford University basketball star, for the Breaking Barriers Award;
- Dave Eggers, award-winning author, cofounder of 826 Valencia and ScholarMatch, for the Next Generation Voices Award;
- Dora the Explorer, award-winning educational children's series on Nickelodeon, for the Kids Media Trailblazer Award, with the award being accepted by Fatima Ptacek, the voice of Dora; and
- Reverend Cecil Williams and Janice Mirikitani, founder and founding president of Glide Memorial Church, for the Lifetime Achievement Award.
"In a world where our kids now create as much media as they consume, it's essential that parents, educators, and policy makers do everything they can to protect and ensure that our children will be safe, responsible, and savvy digital citizens," said Jim Steyer, CEO and founder of Common Sense Media. "From pioneering technology tools in schools to establishing and strengthening the building blocks for a secure and prosperous future for children, this year's honorees are a group of visionaries and leaders who are embracing media and technology to make the world a better place for kids."
This year's mistress of ceremonies is Renel Brooks-Moon, a local radio personality and public address announcer for the San Francisco Giants. Poet and writer Chinaka Hodge and the GLIDE Ensemble and Change Band will perform at the event. The audience attending this year's Common Sense Media Awards will include influential guests representing the worlds of education, government and public leadership, industry, and business. To learn more about the 2015 Common Sense Media Awards, visit https://www.commonsensemedia.org/common-sense-media-awards-2015.
About Common Sense
Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to helping families and educators thrive in a world of media and technology. We rate, educate, and advocate on behalf of kids, families, and schools. Common Sense Media, which facilitates the consumer website, offers the world's largest and most trusted library of age-based ratings and reviews of all types of content targeted at kids, and our research-based curriculum and tools are used in over 89,000 U.S. schools. For more information, go to www.commonsense.org.
About the Common Sense Media Awards
The Common Sense Media Awards pay tribute to the innovative media creators, educators, policy makers, and visionaries who are transforming the way kids learn, grow, and thrive in a 24/7 digitally connected world. Funds raised through this event, now in its 10th year, allow Common Sense to develop and deliver free parent resources and educational programs to millions of families and schools across America. Our groundbreaking digital citizenship curriculum is used by a growing network of 89,000 schools nationwide, and our ratings and reviews reach more than 45 million people across the Web and partner platforms. For more information, visit https://www.commonsensemedia.org/common-sense-media-awards-2015.