Awards programs will recognize both impact and innovation in the PreK-20 industry, along with educators from all roles who are enhancing equity and access for all learners
WASHINGTON, DC — June 27, 2024 — The American Consortium for Equity in Education is thrilled to announce the expansion of the Excellence in Equity Awards program for the 2024-25 year. In addition to the educator awards, the program will now have two distinct programs for companies, nonprofits, products, and leaders in the PreK-20 industry — the first focused on proven impact in advancing equity and access, and the second highlighting the newest and most meaningful innovations with high potential for lasting change. The Consortium has also announced that Early Bird nominations for the Industry Impact Awards will open this Friday, June 28.
“In considering the hundreds of diverse nominations we’ve received in the first two years of the Excellence in Equity Awards program, we recognized an opportunity to better fulfill our objective of honoring and highlighting the wide array of unique ways all PreK-20 stakeholders are making a difference,” said Ross Romano, founding program chair of the Excellence in Equity Awards. “The most significant change is defining two targeted industry awards strands, giving companies a chance to more deeply illustrate their proven impact — from the local level up to global efforts — in the Industry Impact program, while also adding the Industry Innovation program to celebrate the cutting-edge innovation with potential for long-term results. Further, we have added new award categories consistent with demand from the industry, including an AI Impact category and more awards for contributions at the higher ed level.”
The three award programs and their respective timelines are:
Excellence in Equity: Industry Impact Awards — Honoring the PreK-20 companies, organizations, and industry leaders whose proven results have advanced educational equity and access for learners.
- Nomination period: June 28 – September 6, 2024
- Winners Announced: October 2024
Excellence in Equity: Champion of Equity Awards — Honoring the PreK-20 administrators, teachers, support staff, and paraprofessionals who have transformed student outcomes.
- Nomination Period: September – December 2024
- Winners Announced: January 2025
Excellence in Equity: Industry Innovation Awards —- Recognizing the latest innovations disrupting the status quo and enhancing equitable access and opportunity for students as they develop into the leaders of today and tomorrow.
- Nomination period: January – March 2025
- Winners Announced: April 2025
Early Bird Nominations for the Industry Impact Awards Open on June 28
The early bird period for the year’s first award program begins tomorrow and runs through July 14. The final deadline for nominations will be September 6. The program will feature 30 distinct award categories, some of which include:
- Popular categories for accessibility solution, book of the year, career and college readiness solutions, family and student engagement, literacy, and STEM.
- New categories for AI impact, local and national impact, extracurricular solution, and educator health and wellness.
- Higher education-focused categories including company of the year and product of the year.
Read full descriptions of all 30 categories here.
To learn more about the Excellence in Equity Awards, visit https://ace-ed.org/awards or contact awards@ace-ed.org.
About the Excellence in Equity Awards
The annual Excellence in Equity Awards program recognizes the companies, nonprofits, leaders, and educators whose work contributes to the critical goal of ensuring access and equity for every learner. Now entering its third year, the program has awarded top honors to more than 100 educators, companies, organizations, and products in its first two years. Learn more at www.ace-ed.org/awards.
The American Consortium for Equity in Education, publisher of the "Equity & Access" journal, celebrates and connects the educators, associations, community partners and industry leaders who are working to solve problems and create a more equitable environment for historically underserved pre K-12 students throughout the United States.
- American Consortium for Equity in Educationhttps://ace-ed.org/author/admin/
- American Consortium for Equity in Educationhttps://ace-ed.org/author/admin/
- American Consortium for Equity in Educationhttps://ace-ed.org/author/admin/
- American Consortium for Equity in Educationhttps://ace-ed.org/author/admin/
