It began with one teacher.
When Clara Jean LaCelle was a teenager in foster care, her high school English teacher, Mr. Edward Mulvihill, saw something in her that she could not yet see in herself. His kindness and belief in her changed the trajectory of her life.
Years later, Clara created a scholarship in his honor — a way to say thank you that would keep giving long after the words were spoken.
A domain with a destiny.
Roughly 24 years ago, inspired by a Parade magazine article about education and teachers connected to First Lady Laura Bush, Clara purchased ThankATeacher.com. She didn't yet know exactly what it would become — only that gratitude, like the one she carried for Mr. Mulvihill, deserved a permanent home.
Now, it becomes a way for everyone.
Thank a Teacher is growing into a place where anyone can honor the person who changed their life — a teacher, coach, mentor, pastor, foster parent, counselor, neighbor, employer, or friend — by creating educational opportunities exclusively for current and former foster youth.
We inspire, equip, verify, and tell the stories. Sponsors independently fund and run their scholarships. Foster youth find opportunities made specifically for them. And the belief one person placed in another keeps moving forward — one scholarship, one honoree, one life at a time.
"Someone believed in you. Now you can be that someone — in their name."
Thank a Teacher is a Help Foster Youth initiative.