Greenbelt Honors Teachers, Administrators at 2026 ACE Awards Ceremony
Greenbelt honored six educators at its annual ACE Awards on March 25, recognizing teachers from Eleanor Roosevelt High, Dora Kennedy, Springhill Lake, and four other schools.
Six educators from across Greenbelt's public schools received recognition at the city's Advisory Committee on Education Awards ceremony on March 25, with Mayor Emmett Jordan and a full complement of city council members joining ACE Chair Janet Mirsky to present the honors at a Greenbelt City Council meeting.
The winners represented six of the seven schools Greenbelt students attend: Camille Butler of Greenbelt Middle School, Lisa Holinsworth of Greenbelt Elementary School, Matthew Levy of Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Lydia Swindell of Springhill Lake Elementary School, Fafavi Segbor of Dora Kennedy French Immersion, and Elizabeth Knudson of Magnolia Elementary School.
Swindell, who serves as both Science/STEM coordinator and grade level chair at Springhill Lake Elementary, was recognized for weaving personal stories and multilingual phrases into her lessons and drawing on culturally relevant resources to help students connect with the curriculum. Knudson, a 25-year veteran of education, joined Magnolia Elementary in August 2025.
ACE, formed in 1994, selects its educator award recipients based on nominations from each school's administration. The committee recognizes teachers, guidance counselors, support staff, and building staff who have made exceptional contributions to Greenbelt schools. ACE members Troi Dixon and Annette Davis joined Mirsky in hosting the evening.
The audience included Board of Education District 2 Member Jonathan Briggs, Prince George's County District 4 Councilmember Tim Adams, and city councilmembers Kristen Weaver, Frankie Fritz, Silke Pope, Amy Knesel, and Jenni Pompi. That cross-section of local governance reflected the ceremony's function as more than a congratulatory gesture: for a city navigating school facility projects and budget pressures, the public alignment of elected leaders with classroom educators sends a deliberate signal about priorities.
The ACE Educator Awards are paired each spring with a separate student awards ceremony, giving Greenbelt's civic calendar two dedicated moments each year to recognize excellence in its schools.
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