Press release from South Side Bee Branch School District

The national awards program recognizes Arkansas educator for outstanding efforts to teach the next generation about honoring veterans and their families.

Yesterday, national nonprofit Wreaths Across America (WAA) recognized local educator Julie` Nelson of Greenbrier, Arkansas, as the eleventh recipient of the organization’s annual TEACH Award. This award is given annually to an individual or group who has contributed significantly to teaching the next generation to Remember and Honor those who serve in our nation’s military.

Ms. Nelson was presented the TEACH Award by the 2018 recipient of the same award, and Cabot Public School staff member Angela Beason, during the July 21 school board meeting. Beason is a volunteer location coordinator and group leader for the WAA program locally.

Ms. Nelson teaches the Education Accelerated by Service and Technology (EAST) classes at South Side Bee Branch High School. In this role, she coordinates powerful, student-led efforts that promote respect and cultivate leadership, empathy, and academic excellence. She engages students in meaningful civic and historical learning experiences and has taught her students to use technology to map out rural cemeteries in their community. 

“True patriotism is taught not just in lessons, but in the example we set. When we teach students to honor sacrifice and serve others, we are cultivating the leaders our nation will need tomorrow,” said Julie` Nelson, 2025 TEACH Award recipient.

Two signature events—her school’s participation in Wreaths Across America, where she serves as the volunteer Location Coordinator, and the annual Veterans Day Assembly—are run by students under her guidance. Students plan, promote, and execute every detail, gaining volunteer hours required by the State of Arkansas for graduation, along with life skills and a deeper understanding of patriotism and sacrifice.

“The TEACH Award selection committee agreed this year’s nominees were exceptional, but Julie` was selected unanimously after much discussion,” said Susan Patten, TEACH Award Committee Chair, and TEACH Development and Communications Coordinator for WAA. “She didn’t just teach and lecture her students; she engaged them in a variety of activities that taught respect and patriotism. In doing so, they taught others through example. They had a tangible impact on their community.” 

National Wreaths Across America Day will be held this year on Saturday, December 13, 2025. It is a free event, open to the public.  For more information on Wreaths Across America, please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.