The Annie Sullivan Award recognizes local educators for their service to students with special needs
The Berks County Intermediate Unit (BCIU) honored fourteen Annie Sullivan Award nominees and Mr. Robert Dunmoyer, recipient of the 2022 Annie Sullivan Award, with a reception and award ceremony on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, at the BCIU Main Office Building, 1111 Commons Boulevard, Reading, PA 19605. Colleagues, friends, and family gathered to recognize the outstanding service and dedication of individuals to the advocacy and well-being of students with disabilities.
Mr. Robert Dunmoyer is a Special Education Itinerant Teacher Consultant for the Conrad Weiser Area School District. He works specifically with Conrad Weiser Area School District youth placed at the Bethany Children’s Home and all students placed in out-of-district programs. Before this role, Mr. Dunmoyer worked with high school students with various disabilities.
In a nomination form, Ms. Jessica Head, Director of Special Education for the Conrad Weiser Area School District, states, “Mr. Robert Dunmoyer has become one of the most well-loved and respected educators within the Conrad Weiser Area School District not just by students, but staff and community alike. His dedication and passion for helping all youth, no matter the background that came before them, cannot be quantified. Mr. Dunmoyer cares deeply about ensuring all differently-abled students are supported by the most appropriate and best teams to help them succeed. For 22 years the students and families of Conrad Weiser, including those at Bethany Children’s Home, have reaped the rewards of what Mr. Dunmoyer has to offer.”
According to Ms. Head, “Mr. Dunmoyer’s passion for helping individuals with disabilities and giving back started young through his close relationship with his cousin who is special needs. His service cannot be quantified just within the Conrad Weiser community, but through the other organizations he has volunteered and partnered with to support his cousin: Special Olympics, Camp Lilly, Challenger Baseball, and Abilities in Motion, where he serves as a companion.”
The 2022 Annie Sullivan Award nominees were:
- Mrs. Staci Fink, Supervisor of Special Education, Antietam School District
- Mr. John Forry, Educational Facilitator, Berks Career & Technology Center
- Mrs. Robin Gruber, Early Intervention Itinerant Teacher, Berks County Intermediate Unit
- Mrs. Donna Long, Paraprofessional/Job Coach, Boyertown Area School District
- Ms. Eileen Schmidt, Athletic Director, Daniel Boone Area School District
- Mrs. Susan vanderBent, Administrative Assistant/Student Services, Governor Mifflin School District
- Mr. Zachariah Milch, Licensed Behavior Specialist, Muhlenberg School District
- Mrs. Carol Smith, Speech and Language Pathologist, Oley Valley School District
- Mrs. Nicole Kauker, Autistic Support Teacher, Reading School District
- Mrs. Caitlyn Brice, Emotional Support Teacher, Tulpehocken Area School District
- Mrs. Kimberly Patterson, Nurse, Twin Valley School District
- Miss Brittany Smith, Autistic Support Teacher, Wilson School District
- Mrs. Karla Schlappich, School Psychologist, Wyomissing Area School District
The Annie Sullivan Award is given in recognition of an individual who has worked to encourage the understanding and promotion of students with disabilities in his or her school or community. Annie Sullivan was Helen Keller’s devoted teacher and mentor who was nearly blind herself. After treatment, she regained her sight and committed herself to teaching the blind and deaf.
