Nearly 200 teachers from around the world have been chosen to join a community of innovative ambassadors to share best practices, inspire a love of reading and unlock the potential of every child.

In celebration of World Teachers’ Day, the leading digital reading platform for kids, Epic, welcomes nearly 200 educators to its Epic Educator Ambassador Program for the 2022-2023 school year. The 5th annual cohort of educators will serve as ambassadors to inspire a love of reading and learning in students, while also bolstering best practices across the teaching profession. 

This year’s group of educators spans the globe, hailing from 36 states and 14 countries. Eighty six percent of the teachers have been part of the program for at least two years, which underscores the importance of peer connection throughout the pandemic. Free for teachers and librarians, Epic serves more than two million teachers and over 75 million children worldwide, fueling its educator community in the classroom with access to more than 40,000 high-quality ebooks, audiobooks, Read To Me books, original content and videos, in multiple languages. This wide variety of resources support students’ ability to excel in all subjects ranging from reading to history, geography, the arts, science and math. 

Epic’s catalog also helps boost kids’ curiosity to better understand more about the communities they live in, as well as discover and explore new worlds. For example, returning educator ambassador, Brian Lopez, an English Language Development/Intervention Teacher for K–6th grade students at Emma W. Shuey Elementary, a Title 1 school in the suburbs of Southern California, uses Epic to discuss current events impacting his students’ lives.

“Last year, the California wildfires were affecting all of us—from poor air quality to extreme heat. Listening to Read To Me books on Epic to learn about the reasons why they happen and how to prevent them, not only piqued my students’ curiosity but helped them understand what was happening in our community,” said Lopez. “Using Epic as a resource supported a shared learning experience that sparked classroom discussions and gave my students the ability to imagine what the firefighters were going through by looking at the pictures in the stories. Ultimately, this lesson gave the kids agency to access their five senses to make sense of the reality of the wildfires near us.”

The Epic Educator Ambassador Program also provides an inspirational network and platform for educators to share their expertise and best practices, and serves to benefit the good of the educator community through celebrations and acknowledgements. In addition to inspiring educators and students, Epic Educator Ambassadors will influence the future development of the product by providing their expertise and feedback through surveys, interviews and advisory groups. As the program grows across the world, the insights these teachers provide are critical to the continued success and widespread implementation of Epic in schools.

“As a former educator myself, I’m thrilled to support this year’s cohort of ambassadors who will  join a thriving ecosystem where teachers are able to share insights, gain support and spark new ideas that bring joy and wonderment back into classrooms everywhere,” said Katy Jao, Educator Relations Manager at Epic. “As in years past, our educator ambassadors are some of the most highly qualified and celebrated educators, including Teacher of the Year award winners, published authors and renowned presenters. We are honored to have these educators serve as inspiration within the Epic community, sharing their passion for lifelong learning with teachers and students worldwide.”

Epic’s educator ambassadors primarily teach Pre-K through 6th grade, although some have experience teaching middle school and beyond. Roles include general education, special education, technology, librarians, ELL educators, bilingual educators, administrators, gifted and talented teachers, STEM teachers and reading specialists.

For more information about Epic’s Educator Ambassador Program, please visit: https://www.getepic.com/ambassador