Kleenex® Heroes of the Classroom Returns: How One Brand Is Turning Teacher Recognition Into Real School Support
You know the teacher. The one who stayed late, showed up early, and somehow still had energy left to check in on a student who was struggling. The one your kid talks about at dinner. The one you think about years later and realize: they actually impacted my life.
That’s exactly who Kleenex® Heroes of the Classroom was created to celebrate, and nominations are officially open again this year.
Kleenex® is making a difference
According to a recent national study, conducted by Campus Multimedia with YouGov, only 32% of parents feel teachers are adequately recognized for all that they do. Let that sink in. Nearly 7 in 10 parents believe the educators shaping their children's lives aren't getting the credit they deserve.
That's exactly the gap Kleenex® is stepping up to close. Kleenex is not only putting dollars directly in educators' hands, but also giving their stories a national stage, and giving communities a meaningful way to say thank you to someone who has earned it a hundred times over.
When a brand shows up like this, it reminds all educators that what they do is seen, valued, and worth celebrating.
Last Year? Proof That This Matters.
Last year's Grand Prize winner, Melanie Hammericksen, "Chef Hammericksen," to her nearly 200 students at Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon, was the kind of educator who impacted her entire community. She taught culinary arts, prepped meals for athletic teams, quietly sent food home with families who needed it, and covered for colleagues without being asked. She poured herself into that school community, and this program gave her community the chance to show its appreciation.
She walked away with a $10,000 award. Lincoln High School received a $5,000 donation plus a year's supply of Kleenex® Brand Tissues. And her story was shared with people across the entire country.
That's what a nomination can do.
Here's How It Works This Year
Nominations are officially open at HeroesoftheClassroom.com. If there's an educator in your life who deserves to be seen: a teacher, a school administrator, a nurse, a guidance counselor, a paraprofessional, etc., this is your moment to make it happen.
Here's the full prize breakdown:
First 100 teachers nominated receive a $100 Costco Shop Card just for being recognized early.
Nine First Prize Winners each receive a $1,000 Costco Shop Card, a $1,000 donation to their school, and award recognition.
One Grand Prize Winner, selected by public vote from the Top 10 finalists, receives:
$10,000 award
$5,000 donation to their school
A year's supply of Kleenex® Brand Tissues for the school
National recognition
And you? If your nominee wins one of the top 10 spots, you receive a $1,000 Costco Shop Card. This is real, meaningful support landing where it's needed most, in classrooms and in the lives of people who give everything to them.
The Timeline
Nominations open: NOW!
Nominations close: September 8, 2026
Public voting: October 8–22, 2026
Grand Prize school celebration: Week of November 9, 2026
One Last Thing
The next Hero of the Classroom is already out there. They're in a gym before school starts, or staying after hours in a counseling office, or quietly making sure a kid doesn't fall through the cracks. They just need someone to say something--that's YOU!
Head to HeroesoftheClassroom.com and make it official. And grab your Kleenex® at Costco while you're at it because this one might make you cry (in the best way).
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY. THIS IS A SKILL-BASED CONTEST. Void where prohibited. To nominate, individual must be 18+ and a legal resident of the 50 U.S. or DC. To be nominated, individual must be a legal resident of the 50 U.S. or DC, of legal age of majority, and a teacher at a K-12 public or private school located in the 50 U.S or DC. Nominations must be received by 9/8/2026. Rules <heroesoftheclassroom.com/rules>