Panama TESOL Presents the First Melva Lowe de Goodin Award

The new teaching excellence award honors Panama TESOL's founder. The inaugural 2026 winner is Dr. Patricia Lucilda Yearwood de Lewis.

Panama TESOL established "The Melva Lowe de Goodin Award for Excellence in Teaching" in honor of its founder and first president (1986): an Afro-Panamanian educator and cultural advocate, also founder of the Sociedad de Amigos del Museo Afroantillano de Panamá (SAMAAP) and a professor at the University of Panama.

The award recognizes PreK–20 educators from public schools, private institutions, and universities who exemplify teaching excellence and make a significant contribution to the development of English language teaching in Panama.

The inaugural (2026) winner is Dr. Patricia Lucilda Yearwood de Lewis, a distinguished educator, leader, mentor, author, and former president of Panama TESOL (1994), with a track record of innovative bilingual education practices and leadership in professional development.