These Philly principals have won 2023 Lindback Awards. Here’s why.

Seven Philadelphia School District leaders have won 2023 Lindback Awards for Distinguished Principals and will be recognized at a ceremony Tuesday.

Facilitated by the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation of Philadelphia since 2011, the annual recognition rewards principals who have made significant leadership and humanitarian contributions to their school community.

Each receives $20,000 for a project of their choosing.

» READ MORE: From the child of undocumented parents to a star principal, here’s how this Philly educator thrives at her toughest job

Here’s what the winners plan to do with their prizes:

Edwards wants to remodel and “update every inch of the space with new books and materials that reflect my student population, their experiences, their history, their uniqueness, their joys and so much more.” Edwards envisions a welcoming space that serves as a meeting area for parent and family partnerships, supports student literacy and anti-racist work, and offers modern technology and flexible seating. “In a society driven by racial, ethnic, political, and socioeconomic divides, libraries still welcome everyone,” Edwards said.

Kelley, on North 28th Street in North Philadelphia, educates 223 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Evans envisions starting a media studio where students can explore music, recording, visual arts, photography, videography, journalism, public speaking, and more. The media studio “will be used as a vehicle to uplift the area of mentorship for scholars, which is an area that is not mandated within our educational system, but equally as important as academia,” Evans said. A quarter of Stearne students will have mentors in the 2023-24 school year, with more added every year until 2026-27, when all students will have mentors.

Stearne, on Unity Street in Frankford, enrolls 380 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

“Sadly, in Kensington, our neighborhood playgrounds are no place for children,” Garcia wrote. So she plans to use the $20,000 to begin planning and construction of a playground. “Students gain self-confidence on playgrounds while improving their coordination and sharpening their critical thinking skills,” she wrote.

Willard, on East Elkhart Street, enrolls 446 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Izzard will create a “Student Social Hub,” a place for students and adults to build relationships. The space will be designed to create a welcoming environment at Edison, to use for incentives for attendance, academic, and behavior improvements. Given many students’ avid interest in video games, Izzard wants to set aside a space for esports, with gaming systems, furniture, TVs, and computers. Studies show that Black and Latino teens play video games in high rates, but hold just 2% of jobs in the gaming industry; the social hub will be designed for positive social interactions and to foster a possible interest in future careers.

Edison, on West Luzerne Street in Hunting Park, educates 907 students in ninth through 12th grades.

As a student at Overbrook High, Johnson had access to a robust school library where she could study, borrow books, and collaborate with peers. Johnson is now Overbrook’s principal, but “her students do not have this fundamental choice of sitting in a library” — the room, used for storage, is filled with outdated books and nonfunctioning computers. Johnson wants to use the $20,000 to buy books and furniture and to beautify the library space.

Overbrook, on Lancaster Avenue, educates 900 students in ninth through 12th grades.

Jones sees Muñoz-Marín as a gem in Fairhill, a community battling gun violence, poverty, the opioid epidemic, and illegal dumping. She wants to use the prize money to beautify the school campus. Jones partnered with a muralist and an arts organization this year to begin working on the beautification project, but only had funds for one class to participate. Additional money will allow for more students to work on projects of their own design, or those that celebrate their Latinx heritage.

Muñoz-Marín, on North Third Street, enrolls 500 students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade.

Mull Miller wants to use the $20,000 to further Hunter’s efforts to create “a place that works to repair the sometimes broken relationship families have with schools, a place children are heard and loved, a safe place where kids can be kids and where kids can take the risks required to grow.” The room will host student-centered events and celebrations, class competitions, social-emotional materials, and assemblies.

Hunter, on North Front Street in Kensington, educates 900 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.