Awards

NCTE Affiliate Excellence in Programming Award

Award Details

Purpose
To recognize unique affiliate programming that aims to include a range of teachers across various spaces in their career trajectory and/or students they serve.

Who Can Participate
Any affiliate of NCTE that offers unique affiliate programming that aims to include a range of teachers across various spaces in their career trajectory and/or students they serve. Possible unique programs could include:

• A unique conference or multiple conferences
• Student reading or writing competition
• Multicultural programming
• Leadership development within the affiliate programming
• Preservice teacher development and outreach
• Professional development workshops
• Programs that nurture the development of new leaders within state/regional/provincial affiliates and NCTE

Frequency/Number of Awards 

Outstanding affiliates will be selected and recognized with the Affiliate Excellence in Programming Award at the Affiliate Breakfast at each year’s NCTE Annual Convention. 

Award Specifics
Certificates will be presented to each winning affiliate.

Award Criteria and Deadline 
Affiliates nominate themselves for this award by submitting an Affiliate Excellence in Programming Award submission form no later than July 15 (for the 2026 awards) in the year of the award. An NCTE Committee on Affiliates (COA) representative will chair the judging.

Submissions will be judged on the following criteria (published in 2026):

• The affiliate creates and executes one or more unique programs.
• The affiliate creates programming or outreach efforts that have long-lasting impact on affiliate membership.
• The affiliate creates programming that increases the visibility of the affiliate.
• The affiliate creates programming that has a lasting impact on literacy.
• The affiliate creates programming that supports teachers, providing them skills to be used in classrooms across the state and/or supports student learning and growth.
• The affiliate demonstrates that their programming is meeting a specific need expressed by their membership and/or by teachers in their local contexts.

Scoring Rubric (published in 2026)

Submission and Deadline
The completed Affiliate Excellence in Programming Award submission form is due no later than July 15 (for the 2026 awards) in the year of the award. The winning affiliate(s) will be notified in late summer so that they may have a representative present to receive the award at the NCTE Annual Convention Affiliate Breakfast. This representative is expected to purchase a Breakfast ticket with Convention registration.

Administration
The Committee on Affiliates will administer the award. The Committee will appoint a member to handle the judging, the award specifics, and notification to applicants. The NCTE Affiliate Office will handle the initial publicity and notification about the program to affiliates.

Judging
Each submission will be independently evaluated.