Two outstanding Granite School District teachers received top honors this year from the largest education employee association in Utah.

Every year, Utah Education Association (UEA) presents awards to a handful of Utah public school teachers whose efforts in the classroom significantly impact the life of an individual child or group of children.

For 2016, UEA and local PBS affiliate KUED consolidated their annual teacher awards programs in an effort to provide greater exposure and recognition for teachers. The partnership combines the teacher awards programs of both organizations into one program called the UEA Excellence in Teaching Awards.

Upland Terrace Elementary fourth grade teacher Alley Chai and Youth Educational Support Services (Y.E.S.S.) Program science teacher Robert “OZ” Osborne are among this year’s honorees.

Alley Chai has been teaching fourth grade at Upland Terrace Elementary for three years. She incorporates passionate teaching with various strategies to help her students develop into lifelong learners.

Mr. Osborne, or “OZ” as he known among students and staff, works with at-risk youth at Salt Lake Observation & Assessment as part of the Y.E.S.S. Program. He is known for his hands-on teaching style, and his philosophy that learning is a partnership in which students must take a proactive part.

Congratulations to Alley and Robert for receiving the UEA Excellence in Teaching Award.