Greendale Counselor Named Wisconsin Teacher Of The Year

GREENDALE, WI — A social worker with the Greendale School District was one of five educators selected as 2021 Wisconsin Teachers of the Year.

Social worker Trisha Kilpin learned of her honor during a surprise video event held with State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford-Taylor earlier Thursday.

"This honor recognizes Ms. Kilpin's leadership in focusing on research-based tools to proactively support students in feeling connected and a sense of belonging at school," Greendale officials said Thursday.

Greendale Patch featured Kilpin in a 2019 story profiling the district's participation in the Sources of Strength program — a national project designed to harness students' social networks to transform school culture for the better.

"We have seen benefits since our rollout of the program in February 2019," she told Patch. "The notion of using our strengths to get through difficult times has started to be infused in our school culture."

Here's what committee members said about Kilpin's candidacy:

"Trisha Kilpin is a school social worker for the district, which she has worked at since 1991. She created a mental health toolkit for caregivers, providing evidence-supported guidance to help youth who are struggling. Kilpin also teaches crisis response and preparedness at the local, state, and national levels. She noted in her application she reaches and engages with students in the district by working to remove barriers and helps them feel connected to all aspects of school."

The five 2021 Wisconsin Teachers of the Year are among the 86 educators recognized earlier this year by the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation’s Teacher Fellowship Program, which honors and supports teaching excellence and innovation across Wisconsin. The honorees were selected by a diverse committee to represent voices, contexts, and perspectives as educational leaders throughout Wisconsin, organizers said.