Insurance Education Institute (IEI)

The Insurance Education Institute announced the inauguration of the James L. Osborne Insurance Educator of the Year Award in 1998. In honor of the organization's founder, this recognition is presented each year to a high school teacher who demonstrates excellence in providing insurance education to our nation's high school students.

To date, seven outstanding teachers have received this recognition: DeLane Isaak, Clark High School, Clark, South Dakota in 1998; Ted Sapeta, John F. Kennedy High School, Bellmore, New York in 1999; Cindy Miller, Yucca Valley High School, Yucca Valley, California in 2000; Jay McKinstrey, Pella High School, Pella, Iowa in 2001; Patricia Wilkinson, Stark County High School, Toulon, Illinois, in 2002; Marcia Allen, Murphysboro High School, Murphsyboro, Illinois in 2003; and Steve Weissenstein, Glenbrook South High School, Glenview, Illinois in 2004. No award was presented in 2005.

The Insurance Education Institute is a nonprofit organization founded in 1988 in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is a partnership of educators and the insurance community working together to educate tomorrow's teachers, leaders, and citizens about insurance. Leading the nation in this effort, The Insurance Education Institute's mission is to improve the understanding of insurance and its role in society through the education of teachers and students. It is through programs like the James L. Osborne Insurance Educator of the Year Award that IEI endeavors to recognize and reward teachers' creativity, hard work and dedication in their efforts to educate the future leaders and consumers of our nation.

In the words of the founder, "Getting this foundation up and running was the most difficult and the most rewarding thing I have done in my entire career. . . . . What a task force and a few dollars can generate is truly amazing. . . . . Without question, The Insurance Education Institute has begun to make its mark on this industry, and the dream I shared with so many others who believe in this cause is a success!"