Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA) today announced that applications are being accepted from educators for the company’s Unsung Heroes grant program. Unsung Heroes is a nationwide program that awards teachers $140,000 in grants annually to fund innovative teaching ideas that enhance the learning experience for students. The deadline to submit applications is June 1, 2021.

Fifty finalists (one from each state) will be selected to receive a $2,000 grant based on their ideas’ creativity; the teaching method applied; and the ability to positively influence students. Of the finalists, three will be selected to receive enhanced awards: $5,000 for third place; $10,000 for second place; and $25,000 for the grand prize winner.

Educators with a compelling, innovative idea can get additional program information and submit an application by visiting the Unsung Heroes website.

“Educators have had to face unprecedented challenges during the pandemic,” said Angela Harrell, Voya’s Chief Diversity and Corporate Responsibility Officer and president, Voya Foundation. “More than ever, teachers need our support as they work to develop today’s students into tomorrow’s leaders. Our Unsung Heroes program helps bring to life educators’ innovative teaching ideas to enrich the learning experience.”

Unsung Heroes is part of Voya Foundation’s signature program, Voya Teacher Voices. Voya Teacher Voices focuses on empowering teachers to become leaders by promoting the teaching career, recognizing high-achieving educators, providing training opportunities and offering financial support to achieve their goals.

About Voya Foundation

Voya Foundation's mission is to improve the quality of life in communities where Voya Financial operates and its employees and customers live. Voya Foundation provides grants and establishes signature partnerships in the areas of financial literacy and children's education and fosters employee engagement to deepen our positive impact on the community. For more information, visit www.VoyaFoundation.com

About Voya Financial^®

Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA), helps Americans plan, invest and protect their savings — to get ready to retire better. Serving the financial needs of approximately 14.8 million individual and institutional customers in the United States, Voya is a Fortune 500 company that had $7.6 billion in revenue in 2020. The company had $700 billion in total assets under management and administration as of Dec. 31, 2020. With a clear mission to make a secure financial future possible — one person, one family, one institution at a time — Voya’s vision is to be America’s Retirement Company®. Certified as a “Great Place to Work” by the Great Place to Work® Institute, Voya is equally committed to conducting business in a way that is socially, environmentally, economically and ethically responsible. Voya has been recognized as a 2020 World’s Most Admired Company by Fortune magazine; one of the 2020 World’s Most Ethical Companies® by the Ethisphere Institute; as a member of the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index; and as a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” on the Disability Equality Index by Disability:IN. For more information, visit voya.com. Follow Voya Financial on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter @Voya.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210507005562/en/