Nominate a teacher.
Tell us why it's them.
Teachers shouldn't be buying glue sticks with their own paycheck. Write us a few honest sentences about one you know. Our judges read every nomination, and 31 teachers win, including one whose Amazon classroom wish list we cover up to $2,500. Whoever nominated them wins too.
🔓 Free to enter · No purchase necessary · Entries close August 31, 2026 11:59pm ET
Three steps. Zero cost to you.
You tell us the story. Our judges do the reading. We do the shipping.
Tell us about them
Who they are, what they do that nobody pays them for, and a link to their public Amazon classroom wish list. A few honest sentences beat a polished essay.
We read every one
After entries close on August 31, we read and score every eligible nomination, shortlist the strongest, then a panel including certified educators picks the winners.
Everything ships free
Prizes are addressed to the teacher's school, and the person who nominated each winning teacher gets something of their own.
31 teachers win. So do the 31 people who nominated them.
When a teacher wins, the person who took the time to tell us about them wins too.
Up to $2,500 in classroom wish list items
Not a gift card. Not a partial match. We buy up to $2,500 of the classroom wish list outright, and we cover the tax and shipping on top, then send it to the school, plus a full year of Cub Club or Zoologist Club for the classroom.
🤝 Nominator mirror: whoever nominated them gets 3 months of My ZOO Box.
A full year of My ZOO Box, delivered to their classroom
Twelve animals, twelve hands-on animal adventures: anatomy posters, STEM builds, an Animal Ambassador every month. Addressed to the school, so the whole class gets it.
🤝 Nominator mirror: whoever nominated them gets 3 months of My ZOO Box, on the same terms.
A stack of My ZOO Box books for the classroom library
Written by our founding team, reviewed by real zoologists, and matched to the age group they teach. Books they can pull out again and again, year after year.
🤝 Nominator mirror: whoever nominated them gets a book bundle too.
🦧 What actually lands in the classroom
Every month is a different animal, and every box is built around it. This is what a teacher opens.
Animal Ambassador
This month's animal, in plush. Something to hold onto while they learn about it.
Exclusive Book
Written in-house, reviewed by a working zoologist before it ships.
Anatomy Poster
Real body systems, labeled with their real names.
Zoo Passport or Continent Map
A history of every animal they've met.
Collectible Sticker
One per animal. A year in, they've got a whole zoo.
This isn't luck. It's judged.
Winners are selected on the strength of the nomination, scored against three published criteria, first to shortlist, then in detail. No lottery, no random draw. Which means the few minutes you spend writing genuinely decides this.
Demonstrated need
What the teacher is going without, and what's on the wish list. Concrete beats general: "she buys the classroom's snacks herself" tells us more than "she works hard."
Impact on students
What this teacher changes for the kids they teach. Specific examples beat general praise. Please don't include student names or identifying details.
Clarity of the nomination
How clearly and specifically you tell it. Not grammar, not length, just whether we finish reading it knowing who this person is.
Nominate a teacher
It's free, it takes a few minutes, and they never have to know it was you (unless you want them to).
Got it. Thank you for nominating them.
Your nomination is in and every eligible one gets read and scored. If your nominee is selected we'll email you on or about September 9, 2026.
One nomination per person, so there's nothing else you need to do. Full detail is in the Official Rules.
We've been helping kids fall in love with animals since 2020
200,000+ boxes delivered
Hands-on animal science has already made its way into thousands of homes and classrooms.
Built with educators
Certified teachers help shape our activities and learning experiences.
Already used in classrooms
Teachers and schools already bring My ZOO Box into their learning spaces.
Always free to enter
No purchase. No catch. Just one more way we can show up for teachers.
The pangolin box was our first ZooBox and I was highly impressed. My daughter would tell everyone about the pangolin's tongue and that it eats bugs.
This is the perfect thing to get my son excited about learning again. This lit up his joy for learning and creating!
My daughter has kept all of the animal posters in a notebook. The stuffed animals are still well-played with. I will continue to recommend Zoo Boxes.
Before you nominate
Who can I nominate?
Any currently employed PreK–12 classroom teacher in the United States with a public Amazon classroom wish list. You can nominate someone you know personally, your own child's teacher, or a teacher whose work you follow.
You can't nominate yourself. This one is for telling us about someone else.
Someone already nominated my kid's teacher. Should I still enter?
Yes, and it won't hurt them. Each nomination is judged on its own merits. If several people name the same teacher, only the highest-scoring nomination for that teacher can win. The rest are set aside, since a teacher can only receive one prize.
Only the person who wrote that highest-scoring nomination receives a Mirror Prize. So it's worth writing yours properly: you may know the detail that helps our judges see why this teacher deserves it.
How are winners actually chosen?
By judging, not by luck. Every eligible nomination is read and scored on demonstrated need (40%), impact on students (35%), and clarity of the nomination (25%). The strongest are shortlisted, then a panel including certified educators scores that shortlist on the same three criteria to pick the 31 winners.
Ties are broken by the higher impact-on-students score, then by the head judge. We never break ties by drawing lots.
Do I win anything for nominating?
Yes. If the teacher you nominated is selected, you win too: 3 months of My ZOO Box if they won the grand prize or a Classroom Adventure Year, or a book bundle of your own if they won one.
You don't have to be a customer, and you don't have to buy anything to claim it.
Does the teacher get signed up for anything?
No. Every subscription prize is a fixed term, 12 months or 3 months, with shipping included, no credit card required and no auto-renewal. When it ends, it ends. Nobody gets billed, and nobody has to cancel anything.
Is there a cost to enter?
None. Entering is free, and buying something will never help your nomination.
How much of the wish list gets covered?
Up to $2,500 in items from the classroom wish list as submitted at the time of entry, and we pay the sales tax and shipping on top, so the whole $2,500 goes on actual supplies. If the list comes to more than that, we'll work with the teacher to choose which items to cover. Gift cards and items that clearly aren't classroom supplies are excluded, see the Official Rules.
What makes a strong nomination?
Specifics. One true detail about what this teacher does, or goes without, is worth more than three paragraphs of praise. We're not scoring your writing. We're scoring whether we can see the person by the end of it.
Please leave out student names and identifying details. We can judge impact perfectly well without them.
Can I nominate more than one teacher?
No. One nomination per person. It keeps the judging fair and stops the inbox from being gamed.
How will I know if my nominee won?
We'll email you on or about September 9, 2026 if your nominee is selected, then work with you and their school to reach them. We don't ask for the teacher's email at entry: it's their information to give, not yours.
No teacher is named publicly without their agreement.
Does the teacher need to do anything?
Nothing to enter. If they're selected, we'll get in touch to confirm the prize and where to ship it. They're free to decline.
When does it close?
Entries close August 31, 2026 at 11:59pm ET. Shortlisting runs September 2-3, 2026, final judging September 4-5, 2026, and winners are notified on or about September 9, 2026.
Official Rules
The short version is above. Here's the legal version.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A purchase will not improve your nomination or your chances. Void where prohibited by law.
Skill-based contest: This is a contest of skill. Winners are determined solely by judges applying the published criteria set out below. No element of chance is used at any stage, including in the resolution of ties.
Eligibility
Open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia who are eighteen (18) years of age or older at the time of entry. Nominated teachers must be currently employed PreK–12 classroom teachers in the United States and must maintain a publicly viewable Amazon classroom wish list.
Self-nomination is not permitted. An entrant may not nominate themselves. Entries in which the nominator and the nominated teacher are the same person will be disqualified. Employees of Sponsor and their immediate families are not eligible.
Entry
Entry Period: Begins August 11, 2026 at 12:00pm ET and ends August 31, 2026 at 11:59pm ET. Entries received outside the Entry Period will not be eligible.
How to Enter: Complete the nomination form on this page during the Entry Period, including the written nomination statement, which must be between 150 and 2,000 characters. Limit one (1) entry per person. Duplicate entries from the same person will be disregarded after the first.
Multiple nominations of the same teacher: A teacher may be nominated by more than one person. Each nomination is judged on its own merits. However, a teacher may receive only one prize. If more than one winning nomination names the same teacher, the highest-scoring nomination for that teacher will be retained and the remaining nominations for that teacher will be set aside; the next highest-scoring eligible nomination naming a different teacher will advance in their place. This de-duplication is applied at both judging stages. The Nominator Mirror Prize is awarded only to the person who submitted the retained nomination; nominators of set-aside nominations do not receive a Mirror Prize.
Content of entries: Entrants are asked not to include the names of, or identifying details about, any student. Sponsor may redact or disregard such details, and may disqualify any entry it considers inappropriate.
Judging
Judging is conducted in two stages by judges selected by Sponsor. Both stages apply the same weighted criteria set out below, and no element of chance is used at either stage. In Stage One (September 2-3, 2026), every eligible entry is reviewed and scored against the criteria to produce a shortlist of approximately one hundred fifty (150) entries. In Stage Two (September 4-5, 2026), a panel including certified educators scores the shortlisted entries in detail against the same criteria to determine the winners. The weighted criteria applied at both stages are:
- Demonstrated need (40%): the extent and specificity of the need described, including the contents of the nominated teacher's wish list.
- Impact on students (35%): the specificity and significance of the described effect of the teacher's work on the students they teach.
- Clarity of the nomination (25%): how clearly and specifically the nomination conveys the teacher's circumstances and contribution.
Winner determination and ties: After de-duplication, the thirty-one (31) highest-scoring entries will be awarded prizes in descending score order, beginning with the Grand Prize. Ties will be resolved in favor of the entry with the higher Impact on Students score; any remaining tie will be resolved by the head judge applying the same criteria. No tie will be resolved by lot, draw, or any other method involving chance. Judges' decisions are final.
Prizes
- Grand Prize (1): purchase by Sponsor of the nominated teacher's Amazon classroom wish list as submitted at time of entry, up to a maximum of $2,500 in wish list items (Sponsor pays any applicable sales tax and shipping in addition to that amount), plus a twelve (12) month My ZOO Box subscription for the teacher's classroom. ARV: up to $2,908 (comprised of up to $2,500 in wish list items plus a twelve (12) month My ZOO Box subscription valued at $408; actual value may be less than the $2,500 maximum depending on the wish list submitted).
- Classroom Adventure Year (5): a twelve (12) month My ZOO Box subscription (Cub Club or Zoologist Club) shipped to the winning teacher's classroom. ARV: $408 each.
- Book Bundle (25): a bundle of My ZOO Box books selected by Sponsor for the teacher's grade level. ARV: $25 each.
- Nominator Mirror Prizes (31): the individual who submitted a winning nomination receives a three (3) month My ZOO Box subscription (where the nominated teacher won the Grand Prize or a Classroom Adventure Year) or a My ZOO Box book bundle (where the nominated teacher won a Book Bundle). ARV: $114 each for the six (6) mirror prizes paired with the Grand Prize or a Classroom Adventure Year, or $25 each for the twenty-five (25) mirror prizes paired with a Book Bundle.
Total ARV of all prizes: up to $6,882 (maximum). No cash alternative. Prizes are non-transferable. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value.
Subscription prizes: All subscription prizes are fixed-term. Shipping is included, no payment method is required, and subscriptions do not automatically renew or convert to a paid plan at the end of the term. Winners will not be billed. Where a winner already holds an active My ZOO Box subscription, the prize term will be applied to extend that subscription, or credited, at the winner's election.
Grand Prize fulfillment
The following apply to the Grand Prize wish list purchase:
- Lists exceeding the cap. Where the wish list as submitted exceeds $2,500 in item value, Sponsor will consult the winning teacher to select items up to that value. Sales tax and shipping are paid by Sponsor and do not count toward the $2,500. Sponsor is not obliged to exceed the cap.
- Excluded items. Gift cards, cash equivalents, items not reasonably characterized as classroom supplies, and any item Sponsor considers inappropriate, may be excluded at Sponsor's discretion. Classroom technology (headphones, document cameras, printers, laminators and similar) is not excluded where it is genuinely for classroom use.
- Availability and pricing. Items are purchased at the prices and availability applying at the time of fulfillment, not at the time of entry. Where an item is unavailable, discontinued or has materially changed in price, Sponsor may substitute a comparable item or omit it, consulting the teacher where practicable.
- Changes to the list. The list as submitted at time of entry governs. Items added after entry are not included.
- Delivery. Items are shipped to the school or to an address agreed with the winner. Where a school or district declines to accept a prize, Sponsor will work with the winner to find an alternative arrangement, and failing that may award the prize to the next highest-scoring eligible entry.
Winner notification, declines and taxes
Notification: Nominators of winning entries will be notified by email on or about September 9, 2026. Sponsor does not collect teacher contact details at entry and will work with the nominator and the teacher's school to reach the nominated teacher. If a winner cannot be reached, does not respond within fourteen (14) days, or declines the prize, Sponsor reserves the right to award that prize to the next highest-scoring eligible entry naming a different teacher.
Declining: Any nominated teacher may decline a prize, in whole or in part, for any reason and without explanation.
Taxes: Winners are responsible for any taxes arising from receipt of a prize. Sponsor may be required to collect information from winners and to issue tax documentation where the value of a prize exceeds applicable reporting thresholds. Winners are encouraged to seek their own advice.
Publicity and privacy
Sponsor may contact the nominator of a winning entry to ask whether they would like to take part in sharing the story of that nomination. Participation is entirely voluntary, is not required to enter or win, and has no bearing on judging. Declining has no effect on any prize.
No nominated teacher will be named or depicted publicly without their own agreement. Where Sponsor wishes to photograph or film prize fulfillment inside a school, Sponsor will obtain the permissions required from the teacher, from the school or district, and from the parents or guardians of any identifiable children, before doing so.
Sponsor will handle nomination content, which may describe identifiable individuals, in accordance with its Privacy Policy.
General
These Official Rules control. In the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between these Official Rules and any other statement about the promotion, including on-page summaries, emails, social media posts, or advertising, these Official Rules control.
Sponsor: My ZOO Box LLC, 951 FM 646 Road, B14, League City, Texas 77573, United States.
Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any entry that is incomplete, fraudulent, submitted by automated means, or that names a teacher who does not meet the eligibility criteria.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Meta, Amazon, or any other social media or e-commerce platform. By entering, nominators confirm the nominated teacher's information is accurate and that they have a good-faith belief the teacher would welcome the nomination.
License to use nomination content. By entering, entrants grant Sponsor a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to reproduce, excerpt, edit, and publish their nomination statement, in whole or in part, in any medium, for promotional and editorial purposes, without further compensation. Sponsor may anonymize or de-identify a nomination at its discretion, and will not name or depict a nominated teacher without that teacher's agreement as set out above.
Entrant warranty. Entrants warrant that the nomination statement is their own, is truthful, and does not infringe the rights of any third party. Sponsor may disqualify any entry it believes to be plagiarized, fabricated, or submitted on behalf of another person.
Release and limitation of liability. By entering, entrants release Sponsor, its owners, employees, and agents from any claim, injury, loss, or damage arising from participation in the promotion or from the acceptance, receipt, use, or misuse of any prize. Sponsor's total liability to any entrant is limited to that entrant's actual out-of-pocket costs of entry, if any.
Right to modify, suspend, or cancel. If the promotion cannot be conducted as planned due to technical failure, fraud, tampering, or any other cause outside Sponsor's reasonable control, Sponsor reserves the right to modify, suspend, or terminate the promotion, and to award prizes from among eligible entries received prior to the event giving rise to the action. Sponsor is not responsible for entries that are lost, late, misdirected, incomplete, or not received for any reason.
Governing law and venue. These Official Rules are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any dispute arising out of this promotion shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Galveston County, Texas, and entrants consent to the jurisdiction of those courts.
Individual claims only. All disputes shall be resolved individually. Entrants waive any right to bring or participate in a class, collective, or representative action, and waive any award of punitive, incidental, or consequential damages or attorneys' fees.
Winners list. A list of winning nominators' first names and states will be available on request by emailing hello@myzoobox.com through October 31, 2026. Nominated teachers will not be identified without their agreement.
Severability. If any provision of these Official Rules is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect.