Awards

Each year, the STATE CEC Unit Awards highlight the individuals and groups making a difference in special education across our state. These awards provide an opportunity to recognize peers and colleagues for their leadership, service, and commitment to exceptional children—and we encourage members to submit nominations to help celebrate this important work.

Questions? Contact XXX

The XX CEC Teacher of the Year Award

This award recognizes an XX CEC member teacher who currently provides instruction to students with exceptionalities and is an outstanding member of the profession. Their work exemplifies the best in special education teaching and reflects significant, documented positive outcomes for students, continued professional development, and the highest standards of educational quality.

The XX CEC Outstanding Student Chapter Advisor Award

This award recognizes a college/university XX CEC Student Chapter Advisor who has demonstrated an exemplary commitment to engaging students in their XX CEC Chapter and guiding their educational, personal, and professional development in the field of special education.

 

The XX CEC Special Educator Rising Star Award

This award recognizes a XX CEC member teacher who is in the first five years of their special education career who has shown exceptional potential for leadership in teaching, service, and/or scholarship.

 

The XX CEC Special Education Lifetime Achievement Award

This award recognizes an XX CEC member who has made continued and sustained contributions to positive outcomes for children and youth with exceptionalities.

 

The XX CEC Special Education Research Award
 

This award recognizes an XX CEC member whose research has had a direct impact on practice, programs, or policy needs and has improved positive outcomes for children and youth with disabilities and/or gifts and talents.

 

The Outstanding XX CEC Leadership Award
 

This award honors a XX CEC member who has made significant contributions to the Council’s programs and activities at the local, state, and national/international level over an extended period of time.

 

The XX CEC Outstanding Paraeducator Award
 

This award is intended to honor XX CEC paraeducator members who are currently involved in direct or related services to students with disabilities and provide exemplary service to students and special educators.

Learn More and Apply

Description

The XX CEC Teacher of the Year Award recognizes a XX CEC member teacher who currently provides instruction to students with disabilities and/or gifts and talents and is an outstanding member of the profession. Their work exemplifies the best in special education teaching and reflects significant, documented positive outcomes for students, continued professional development, and the highest standards of educational quality.

Eligibility
 

The XX CEC Teacher of the Year Award recipient must:

• be a XX CEC member at the time of nomination and granting of the award;
  demonstrate CEC’s core values, which are:
  • Visionary Thinking: Demonstrated by forward-thinking and courageous decision making dedicated to excellence and influence in an evolving environment
  • Integrity: Demonstrated by ethical, responsive behavior, transparency, and accountability
  • Inclusiveness: Demonstrated by a commitment to diversity, caring, and respect for the dignity and worth of all individuals
• currently provide direct services to students with disabilities and/or gifts and talents.
• hold professional certification in the area in which he or she provides services.
• engage in work consistent with CEC’s mission statement, as stated above.

Deadline to nominate: Month Day
 

[Submit a Nomination]

The Yes I Can Award

The Yes I Can Awards recognize the accomplishments of children and youth with exceptionalities (ages 3-21) in six categories: Academics, Arts, School and Community Activities, Self-Advocacy, Technology, and Transition.
 

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AWARD DETAILS
Description
The STATE Council for Exceptional Children has established the Yes I Can (YIC) awards program to acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishments of children and youth with exceptional needs. This award honors children and youth with exceptionalities that shine.

One winner in each category will be selected (Academics, Arts, Transition, Technology, School and Community Activities, Self-Advocacy). Nominations may be made by parents, teachers, friends, paraprofessionals, etc. In the event of a tie, preference will be given to nominators that are CEC members.

Award recipients will be:

• Recognized and receive a commemorative award at the STATE Council for Exceptional Children’s Conference in November.
• Featured in the XX CEC Spring Newsletter, social media, and XX CEC website.
• Nominated to National CEC for consideration of the National Yes I Can! Awards.

Award Categories:
 

• The Yes I Can Academic Award recognizes students and youth with exceptionalities who have demonstrated achievement far beyond expectations in areas such as math, science, reading, social studies, language arts, foreign languages, or overall academic performance, including exceptional results on standardized tests. This achievement can be demonstrated through competitions, special projects, or performances.
• The Yes I Can Arts Award honors students and youth with exceptionalities who have shown exceptional achievement in the arts, such as music, theater, dance, visual arts, graphic arts, sculpture, written expression, etc. This award may also recognize how the arts have contributed to the student’s social and emotional development or well-being.
• The Yes I Can Technology Award acknowledges students and youth with exceptionalities who have demonstrated exceptional achievement through the effective use of technology, including assistive technology, to advance their academic and non-academic skills. This award also recognizes the positive impact of technology on the student’s social and emotional development or well-being.
• The Yes I Can Transition Award celebrates post-secondary students and youth with exceptionalities who have demonstrated outstanding AWARDS achievement in acquiring the knowledge, skills, and abilities that have led to successful outcomes in work, vocational training, or independent living.
• The Yes I Can School and Community Award honors students and youth with exceptionalities who have demonstrated outstanding achievement or leadership in organized activities at the school or community level. This includes involvement in school-based activities (such as yearbook, theater, debate, tutoring, peer mentoring, social clubs, or service) or community-based activities (such as volunteer work, Boy/Girl Scouts, church/temple participation, service projects, or environmental cleanup campaigns).
• The Yes I Can Self-Advocacy Award recognizes students and youth with exceptionalities who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in taking practical responsibility for themselves. This includes effectively using their knowledge of legal rights, advancing personal goals, and advocating for their own needs—such as securing appropriate accommodations for themselves or others.

Eligibility
Nominees must be 3-21 in age at the time of the nomination and a resident of Kansas. Each nominee may be nominated in ONE category only. Applications must be complete and contain ALL required information in order to be considered.

How to Nominate
Nominations may be made by parents, teachers, friends, paraprofessionals, etc. In the event of a tie, preference will be given to nominators who are CEC members.

The nomination form for all categories is available here:
[Nomination Form]
[Nomination Essay Rubric]
Printable application for preparatory purposes

Additional Information

• Nominations are welcome for students displaying ALL ability levels. The committee is interested in experiencing how the student chooses to share their own abilities and successes.
• While consideration is given to achievements, attention is also given to the student’s overcoming of obstacles to reach small and mighty goals. Exceptional students often have exceptional support systems. Be mindful to highlight the student’s assets that facilitated their achievement to a greater degree than his/her/their support system.
• Please be sure to review the Nomination Essay Rubric in the "How to Nominate" section for additional information on how the nominations are scored.
  
  Tips
  Be creative and engage the student in a way that allows them to shine. This could include a performance video, showcasing their artwork, or another form of self-expression. Try to avoid a traditional interview approach, but if helpful, here are some prompts you can use to guide the student’s reflection:
• Tell us about your achievement in the nomination category.
• What is your biggest takeaway from pursuing this achievement?
• What do you envision for your future related to this achievement?
• How have you made a difference for other children and youth with exceptionalities?

If there are existing videos or supporting materials that highlight the student’s achievements, feel free to use or draw from those. For example, if nominating a student in the Arts category, you could provide images of their work.
 

Video Submission Instructions

All videos should be uploaded to this nomination form OR uploaded to YouTube or another video-sharing service (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox) and MUST be made public or shared directly within the nomination form. This ensures KS CEC can distribute the video to the reviewing committee. 

Resources on Sharing Videos

• How to share a video on YouTube
• How to share a file/video on Google Drive
• How to share a file/video on Dropbox

For questions or assistance, please contact XX.