Originally established in 1999 as the Tri-City Crystal Apple Awards, the program sought to honor the Mid-Columbia education profession as a whole by identifying a few of the many wonderful classroom teachers in seven public school districts.  In 2017, two school districts joined the program: Welcome, Othello and Prosser School Districts!

What has not changed is the purpose of the Crystal Apple Awards: to recognize public school educators who have made a positive impact on the lives of their students. The award program is sponsored by community service groups, businesses, and other organizations that want to recognize and show their appreciation and support for the thousands of outstanding teachers across our region. After the March 2017 Awards, 219 educators will have been recognized as Crystal Apple Award winners!