Voya Financial to Celebrate Two Decades of 'Unsung Heroes' in our School Systems

WINDSOR, Conn., March 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA), is proud to announce the 20^th anniversary of its Voya Unsung Heroes™ awards program. The company is currently accepting grant applications from K-12 educators across the U.S. with big ideas — but who are perhaps short on dollars to bring those concepts to life.  Any teacher with an innovative program is invited to apply for a Voya Unsung Heroes grant, but they must complete their submissions by the April 30, 2016 deadline. 

To learn more and submit an application, visit the Voya Unsung Heroes website.

Voya handed out its first Unsung Heroes award in 1996 as a way to demonstrate its commitment to the education community, an important customer group for the company's retirement business. Two decades later, it continues to be an "A+ program" where each year 100 finalists are selected to receive a $2,000 grant. The winning projects are chosen based on the creativity of the idea, the innovative teaching method applied and the ability to positively influence students. Out of those 100 finalists, three are then selected for even bigger financial awards: $25,000 for first place, $10,000 for second place and $5,000 for third place.

This Could Be You — If You Apply!

In addition to a big check, the top Voya Unsung Heroes program winners receive a memorable surprise. Picture the entire school coming together for a pep rally to recognize the passion and commitment of their favorite teachers. That's what happened to Jane Layman and Richard Love of Southmoreland Middle School in Scottdale, Pennsylvania. This video shows the two teachers receiving their first place Voya Unsung Heroes grant award at a school pep rally in 2015, in addition to the reactions of last year's second and third place winners: http://go.voya.com/2015USH.

"For our nation's most passionate educators, teaching is not simply a job — it's a calling. We know these dedicated individuals will do anything to help their students, many times dipping into their own savings, to inspire a greater love of learning," said Carolyn Johnson, president of Annuities and Tax-Exempt Markets for Retirement at Voya Financial. "There are so many deserving teachers in classrooms across the country, and there are countless life-changing ideas that need only a little help to make a difference. We encourage teachers to submit their applications by April 30, 2016 and to give themselves a chance to turn their brilliant, untapped ideas into a reality for students."

How to Submit Your Application

Visit the Voya Unsung Heroes website (unsungheroes.com). You'll find a link to the 2016 application and additional information about the program, qualifications and previous winners. Applications are currently being accepted through the website until April 30, 2016.   

As an industry leader and advocate for greater retirement readiness, Voya Financial is committed to delivering on its vision to be America's Retirement Company™ and its mission to make a secure financial future possible — one person, one family, one institution at a time. 

Media Contact:
Bill Sutton
Voya Financial
Office:  (860) 580-2626
Cell:  (315) 373-9685
William.Sutton@voya.com

About Voya Financial^®
Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA), helps Americans plan, invest and protect their savings — to get ready to retire better. Serving the financial needs of approximately 13 million individual and institutional customers in the United States, Voya is a Fortune 500 company that had $11 billion in revenue in 2015. The company had $452 billion in total assets under management and administration as of Dec. 31, 2015. With a clear mission to make a secure financial future possible — one person, one family, one institution at a time — Voya's vision is to be America's Retirement Company™. The company is equally committed to conducting business in a way that is socially, environmentally, economically and ethically responsible — Voya has been recognized as one of the 2015 World's Most Ethical Companies™ by the Ethisphere Institute, and as one of the Top Green Companies in the U.S., by Newsweek magazine. For more information, visit voya.com or view the company's 2014 annual report. Follow Voya Financial on Facebook and Twitter @Voya.

 

Video - http://youtu.be/HJDLsLIjzEk 
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160229/338931LOGO

SOURCE Voya Financial, Inc.