Jason Perrin (right) poses for a photo with Michigan Lottery public relations director, Jeff Holyfield, after accepting his Excellence in Education Award.

A Genesee County educator known for his dedication to help improve the lives of his students and provide them with new experiences, such as trips to Washington, D.C., and for his leadership at his school has been honored with an Excellence in Education award from the Michigan Lottery.

The award winner, Jason Perrin, teaches U.S. history at Hill-McCloy High School, which is part of the Montrose Community Schools. He also coaches three sports.

The Michigan Lottery established the Excellence in Education awards in 2014 to recognize outstanding public school educators across the state during the school year.

Winners of the weekly award receive a plaque, a $1,500 cash prize, and a $500 grant to their classroom, school or school district.  One of the weekly winners will be selected as the Educator of the Year and will receive a $10,000 cash prize.

Each winner also is featured in a news segment on the Lottery’s media partner stations:  WXYZ-TV in Detroit, FOX 17 in Grand Rapids, FOX 47 in Lansing, and WNEM-TV in Saginaw. The news segment featuring Perrin will air this evening in Grand Rapids and Lansing, and then on Thursday in Saginaw and Detroit.

Perrin said his high school chemistry teacher and the opportunity to coach inspired him to pursue a career in education. He said his favorite parts about being an educator are “witnessing students succeed and ‘figure it out,’ and when students come back and visit!”

Perrin said his students motivate him to do his best each day. “It’s knowing that many of the students need someone to be there and help them.”

A colleague nominated Perrin for the Excellence in Education award nomination, describing him as “very passionate about the kids and community he serves and continuously looking for ways to improve the lives of his students and community.

“Jason also believes in the mission of teaching the whole child and has created those opportunities for his current students at Hill-McCloy High School,” the nomination said.

“In a time where behavioral and social education is paramount, Jason is searching for outside venues to allow our children to experience different cultures, to be open-minded, and prepared for the world experiences they will face soon. He organizes and takes students to Washington, D.C., as well as to the Holocaust Museum in Southfield. No students should fall through the cracks, and Jason has spent his career preventing this from happening.

“Jason has a deep understanding of academic learning and researches the best teaching practices. His nonthreatening approach brings out the best in students and creates a positive school climate. This is the key to producing student leaders who take their experiences from the classroom to their work or collegiate learning arenas,” the nomination said.

Jason Perrin is interviewed after being presented with an Excellence in Education award from the Michigan Lottery.

“The core concepts of all education programs depend on a leader who can inspire the students and to give them the confidence to go out in the work world and be successful. I can think of no better person to do this than Jason.”

The nomination added that Perrin “takes on leadership responsibilities in and outside of school. He accepts the responsibility to mentor new teachers as well as student teachers to pass on the expertise of his craft. He knows his profession well and He prepares in depth. Jason is constantly learning new teaching and communication strategies which will benefit our district.

“Jason also is constantly promoting school spirit by hosting community gatherings, such as community tailgates, contests, etc., before sporting events to give everyone a sense of pride and a relationship to our high school students.”

Perrin earned a bachelor of science degree in history and earth science from the University of Michigan-Flint and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Eastern Michigan University. He has been an educator for 19 years, the past 18 with the Montrose Community Schools.

Excellence in Education award nominees are evaluated on the following criteria:

• Excellence – Their work consistently helps students and/or their schools or school districts advance to higher levels of academic achievement.
• Dedication – They consistently go above and beyond expectations to help students succeed.
• Inspiration – Their work inspires others around them to exceed expectations either academically or professionally.
• Leadership – They demonstrate clear leadership skills in their positions with their school or school districts.
• Effectiveness – The nominee’s work has clear and positive results on the educational advancement of students within the school or school district.