Voya Financial, Inc., a provider of retirement plans for educators, announced today that Michah Myers, a teacher at Chattanooga School for the Arts & Science in Chattanooga, has received a $2,000 grant as part of the company’s 2026 Unsung Heroes awards competition. Mr. Myers is the only winner in the entire state of Tennessee, and is one of only 50 winning submissions to receive the award to help fund and bring his program to life. Selected from the hundreds of applications Voya received from throughout the United States, Mr.

Myers will now compete with other finalists for one of the top three prizes - an additional $5,000 for third place, $10,000 for second place or $25,000 for first place from Voya Financial.

For 30 years, the Voya Unsung Heroes program has awarded grants to K-12 educators in the United States to recognize and support their innovative teaching methods, creative educational projects and their ability to positively influence the children they teach. Since the program’s inception in 1996, Voya has awarded over 2,710 educators more than $6.66 million nationally.

“Great educators don’t just teach; they create opportunities, unlock confidence and help students see possibilities they may not have imagined for themselves. The recipients of this year’s Voya Unsung Heroes Awards reflect the extraordinary impact happening in classrooms every day.” said Jon Reilly, SVP, Retail Wealth Management & Advisory Solutions, Voya Financial. “We’re honored to celebrate these educators whose dedication and innovation are helping shape brighter futures for their students and their communities."

Mr. Myers' innovative teaching program, "Sharing Our Legacy," empowers students to lead the school's narrative through a revitalized journalism program, new media arts courses and their historic yearbook.

Officials said, "For 40 years, Chattanooga School for the Arts & Science has been a cornerstone of Paideia education, but instead of a culture of "making do" they are shifting to one of strategic investment. The program's goal is to capture the full spectrum of (1) The CSAS impact: The Foundational Experience, and how the K-12 model fosters deep thinking and respectful communication, (2) The Alumni Path: Stories of graduates translating Paideia principles into impactful careers, and (3) The Student Journey: Real-time documentation of students growing into tomorrow's leaders. The Voya grant will help the students move beyond simply 'telling' the story of the school to producing a high-fidelity archive of lifelong learning that reflects the true excellence of the community. The resources from the grant will go towards providing professional-grade audio and video technology, bridging the gap between classroom learning and professional storytelling."

To learn more about this year’s winning projects, as well as those from previous years, visit the Unsung Heroes website. To apply for the 2027 Voya Unsung Heroes grant, go here.

Unsung Heroes is part of Voya Foundation’s signature program, Voya Teacher Voices, that 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.