Matt Hamilton, a middle-school teacher in Northern Michigan’s East Jordan Public Schools, is the national winner of the NEA Foundation’s 2025 Award for Teaching Excellence — one of the highest honors in public education.

Since 2001, the NEA Foundation has conferred the Award for Teaching Excellence annually. This distinguished recognition, which comes with a $25,000 award, recognizes K-12 public school educators nationwide for excellence in the classroom, dedication to family and community engagement, commitment to equity and diversity, and advocacy for the teaching profession.

“I am deeply humbled and honored to receive this prestigious award and to be considered in the same company as so many extraordinary educators from across our country,” said Hamilton, who teaches history and video production at East Jordan Middle/High School in Charlevoix County. “I’m where I am today because I had incredible teachers who believed and invested in me, and I want to offer the same to my students.”

Hamilton, a 23-year teaching veteran, is the founder and leader of the school’s renowned “Shoe Club.” The club collects shoes from notable people around the world to reinforce the importance of hard work, dedication and self-worth.

The club’s collection includes shoes from civil rights pioneer Ruby Bridges; autographed sneakers from Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Michael Jordan; signed red pumps from Dolly Parton; ski boots from Olympic gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin; dress shoes from cell phone inventor Martin Cooper; a pair of snakeskin-patterned heels from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; and many more.

Students who join the Shoe Club learn leadership and life skills by designing and executing community service projects. One such initiative involved raising $163,000 from the community to make much-needed improvements to Grand Armory of the Republic Park, a mini-park that pays tribute to Civil War veterans.

“The lessons I’ve learned through the Shoe Club are lessons for all of us as educators,” Hamilton said during his Feb. 14 acceptance speech at the NEA Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Education Gala in Washington, D.C. “Every student in our classroom matters. Every student has a story. And every student needs to know they are valued. When we teach from that place of love and purpose, we don’t just change lives — we create a ripple effect that shapes communities and futures.”

Hamilton was also recently picked as one of five educators from across the country to receive the NEA Foundation’s Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence. Last March, the Michigan Education Association selected Hamilton for its 2024 Educational Excellence Award.

“The Michigan Education Association is immensely proud of Matt Hamilton for earning this prestigious national award,” MEA President and CEO Chandra Madafferi said. “Matt exemplifies the dedication and hard work of public school educators across Michigan, who are committed to helping students realize their self-worth so they can thrive in and out of school. Matt’s amazing work throughout the East Jordan community is a testament to the power that our local educators have to transform communities by building unity, inspiring hope and shaping the leaders of tomorrow.”

For more about East Jordan’s Shoe Club, visit shoeclub.org.