Equity & Justice Award Nominations

Nominations are now open for five awards that will recognize advocacy and achievement in equity and justice. The awards will be presented at NJEA’s Equity Alliance Weekend to be held on Jan. 12-13, 2024.  

The Equity Alliance Weekend is an expansion and reconfiguration of three annual NJEA events: the NJEA Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Human and Civil Rights Celebration, the NJEA Urban Education Symposium, and the NJEA Minority Leadership and Recruitment Conference. The weekend will feature training on social justice issues and social justice activism, recognizing the intersection of diverse identities and circumstances among NJEA members and the communities they serve.

In addition, four of NJEA’s highest awards will be presented at the Human and Civil Rights Celebration, which will be a highlight of the Equity Alliance Weekend.

  • Dr. Judith Owens Spirit Award: This award is conferred by the NJEA Minority Leadership and Recruitment Committee. Named for Judith Owens, the first African-American president of NJEA, this award honors a member who has been a champion of ethnic minority rights and issues and who has had a significant impact on education and the achievement of equal opportunity for those facing discrimination because of their ethnicity.
  • Equality Champion Award: This award is conferred by the NJEA Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Committee. This award honors a member who has been a champion of human and civil rights, and who has had a significant impact on education and the achievement of equal opportunity for those facing discrimination because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
  • NJEA Elizabeth A. Allen Women in Education Award: This award is conferred by the NJEA Women in Education Committee. Named for NJEA’s first female president, the award honors a member or an individual living or working in New Jersey who promotes women’s rights and equality for all persons, particularly in education.
  • Urban Educator Activist Award: This award is conferred by the NJEA Urban Education Committee. The award honors active and retired members who have been champions for urban education and who champion the well-being of all stakeholders in urban communities.

Nomination forms and documentation for any of these four awards are due Oct. 31, 2023.

For more information, contact Colleen Lopez via email below or call 609-599-4561, ext. 2290.