Instructure, Utah Jazz Most Valuable Educator Program Returns for Third Year

Utah educators to be recognized at Jazz Games and receive classroom grants; Public nominations now being accepted

SALT LAKE CITY — September 11, 2023 — Instructure, the leading learning platform and maker of Canvas, and the Utah Jazz are proud to announce the third year of the Most Valuable Educator (MVE) awards program. Through the program, Instructure recognizes 17 outstanding local educators from K-12 and higher education during home games throughout the 2023-2024 Utah Jazz NBA regular season. 

“The Instructure Most Valuable Educator program sends a powerful message about the critical role teachers play in Utah and throughout the world,” said Steve Daly, CEO of Instructure. “We’re looking forward to partnering with the Utah Jazz for the third year in a row as we recognize and celebrate educators throughout the state. We encourage everyone to join us by nominating an inspirational teacher who has made a positive impact in the lives of our students.” 

Nominations are now being accepted on the Utah Jazz website at www.nba.com/jazz/mve from anyone in the local community including students, parents, peer educators, principals, administrators and college deans to honor the best educators in Utah. 

The program will honor a total of 17 MVEs who will attend a game with their family in the Instructure suite at the Delta Center and be recognized on the basketball court during the game. In addition to the game recognition, recipients will also receive a surprise classroom visit from the Utah Jazz Bear, a personalized Jazz jersey exemplifying the teacher's achievements and a $1,000 classroom grant. 

“The outpouring of nominations each year reinforces the community’s desire to thank and recognize our local educators publicly,” said Jim Olson, president of the Utah Jazz. “Our partnership with Instructure has exceeded all expectations, and we are grateful to help showcase the hard work of our Utah educators and their impact on our children by giving them a moment in the spotlight.”

The first MVE will be recognized on November 21. And, as part of its ongoing expression of gratitude for local educators, Instructure will also be providing 300 tickets for Utah educators to attend the Jazz game on March 18, 2024. Throughout that game night, Utah educators will be recognized for their work in the community and given the opportunity to participate in various arena activities. In addition, attending fans will be able to write their own messages of gratitude for local educators. 

All 17 Most Valuable Educator honorees will also be invited to attend an awards dinner with the Utah Jazz and Instructure at the Governor’s Mansion at the end of the season.

Salt Lake City-based Instructure and its flagship product Canvas were founded in Utah in 2008 and currently have more than 30 million educators and learners globally across K-12 and higher education using Canvas and other solutions in its Instructure Learning Platform. 

About the Utah Jazz

Founded as the 18th member of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1974, and located in Salt Lake City since 1979, the Utah Jazz are committed to excellence as a team and in the community. On the court, the Jazz are the second-winningest team in the NBA over the last 30 years, having won 11 division titles and two Western Conference championships along with 17 seasons of 50-plus wins, and are supported by one of the most passionate fan bases in all of sports. The Utah Jazz also operate the Junior Jazz program, the largest and longest-running youth basketball league in the NBA, featuring more than 60,000 players and an additional 13,000 volunteers who take part annually across six states. For more information on the Utah Jazz, visit www.utahjazz.com.