Breads of the World, local franchisee for Panera Bread in central and southwestern Ohio, is pleased to announce the fourth annual Rising Above student essay contest, which will run from March 1-March 31. To participate, students must submit an essay about why his or her teacher deserves to be honored with the Panera Rising Above Award, and the winning essays will be announced during National Teacher Appreciation Week, which runs May 3-May 9.

To nominate a teacher, participants must submit a 100- to 200-word essay at a local Panera bakery-cafe via email or through the mail. Entry forms are available at all Panera Bread bakery-cafes located throughout Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati, Ohio, as well as online at www.Panera-Ohio.com. Teachers must demonstrate leadership in the community, be honest, genuine and present fresh, innovative, and creative ideas to their students. Three Grand Prize winners will be announced during National Teacher Appreciation Week. Winning teachers and their schools will be awarded grants, Panera gift cards, and a variety of other prizes. The student winner in each category will win a Nintendo DS and the memory game BrainAge.

"Quality teachers today are the heroes of tomorrow," says Jeff Rains, president of Breads of the World. "We encourage all students to stop by a local Panera Bread or send an email about why your teacher deserves to win the Panera Bread Rising Above Award."

Breads of the World LLC, the local franchisee of Panera Bread, operates 49 bakery-cafes in the Columbus, Cincinnati, northern Kentucky, and Dayton-metro areas.