AUBURN – Five area teachers are among 10 statewide who will be honored Wednesday by radio stations and Army recruiters for going above and beyond expectations.

Those 2006-07 Golden Apple Award recipients are Phil Prideaux of Oak Hill High School; Cynthia Paradis of Jay High School; Janet Daigle of Jay Elementary School; Jan Robertson of Poland Community School; and Daniel O. Hart of Dirigo High School.

Nassau Broadcasting developed the program to recognize educators and the important work they do, said station manager Tim Gatz. Nassau, based in Portland, owns several Maine radio stations: The Wolf (99.9 FM, country) The Bone (106.7 FM, rock), WBach (106.3 FM, classical) Frank FM, (105.5, classic hits) and ESPN (1470 AM, sports).

Gatz said the program was initiated five years ago to give teachers, students and parents a chance to nominate educators. Unlike other contests, students, parents and educators all have equal footing in the nominations, Gatz said.

Most winners are teachers who went over and above expectations, or who kept teaching despite hardships in their lives, Gatz said.

The Army co-sponsors the annual contest to recognize teachers and education, said James Allard, public affairs staffer for the Army’s Topsham unit.

The majority of soldiers are young people, and quite often young men and women who are between high school and college, Allard said.

Quality teachers help the Army, he said.

“The better educated individual we can get, the better soldier we’re going to have,” he said. Today’s soldier has to deal with evolving technology and interact with people from diverse groups.

The contest is a way for the Army to have access to those who influence students, Allard said. “The decision to come into the military is not usually made in a vacuum. They seek advice of those around them.”

The other winners were teachers at West Bath Elementary, Gorham Middle School, Woodside Elementary Mayberry Hill Preschool in Casco and Windham High School.

The awards will be presented at a luncheon at the Hilton Garden Inn in Auburn by Lt. Col. Wade Murdock, commander of the New England Recruiting Battalion in Topsham. The battalion Murdock oversees is responsible for recruiting in Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts.

The Golden Apple Awards for 2007-08, where one educator is awarded each month, begins in September.