Awards

CEL Innovative Leadership Award

2023 Winner: Valerie Bolling

Valerie Bolling has been an educator for 30 years, working most recently as an instructional coach. Last year, she won several educator awards, including an NEA Human and Civil Rights Award. Valerie is a published children’s author, and her role as an educator extends to teaching picture-book classes, independently and for the Highlights Foundation. Her debut picture book, Let’s Dance!, won SCBWI’s Crystal Kite Award and was a finalist for a Connecticut Book Award. Valerie published two more picture books in 2022 (Together We Ride and Ride, Roll, Run: Time for Fun!), and two in 2023 (Together We Swim and Bing, Bop, Bam: Time to Jam!) In addition, she is the author of a Scholastic Acorn early reader series, Rainbow Days, that debuted in 2023. Valerie and her husband live in Connecticut and enjoy traveling, hiking, reading, going to the theater, and dancing. linktr.ee/ValerieBolling

Award Details

Nomination Deadline: April 1

Purpose:  The CEL Innovative Leadership Award recognizes a mid-career literacy leader and NCTE member who has shown innovative leadership that led to a systemic impact at the local, regional, and/or national levels.

Award Criteria:  The award recipient should exemplify the following:

• Innovative literacy leadership activities that impact systems and programs at the regional and/or national level
• Innovative approaches to teaching and/or professional development through new, creative, and progressive methods and delivery models that have made an impact across a school/district or beyond
• Teaching should be less than half of this person’s daily role and/or not part of the role at all.

Award Specifics:  The recipient receives a certificate, which is presented at the CEL Annual Convention.

Nomination Materials:  All nominations must contain the Nomination Form, at least two letters of recommendation, and the candidate’s curriculum vitae.

Judging: The CEL Award Committee determines the recipient from the nominations submitted within the calendar year. For full consideration, nominations must be received no later than April 1.

*If you are unsure which award best matches you/the nominee’s experience, please email cel@ncte.org.
**Note: The CEL Awards Committee may consider nominees for an award different from the one for which they were nominated if they feel it is a better fit.