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 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. With roots in the annual NJEA Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Celebration and the Minority Leadership and Recruitment Conference, the event is a collaboration of these NJEA committees: Exceptional Children, Human and Civil Rights, Minority Leadership and Recruitment, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, Urban Education, and Women in Education.
Five of NJEA’s highest awards will be presented during the NJEA Dr. Martin Luther King Human and Civil Rights Celebration, held at the conclusion of the Equity Alliance Weekend.
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Human and Civil Rights Award: This award is conferred by the NJEA Human and Civil Rights Committee. Nominees may be an individual, group or organization working in the area of civil rights, and if eligible, NJEA members.
- Dr. Judith Owens Spirit Award: This award is conferred by the NJEA Minority Leadership and Recruitment Committee. Named for Dr. 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.
- 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 these awards are due Oct. 31, 2023.
For awards criteria and to make a nomination, go to njea.org/equitynominations.
For more information, contact Colleen Lopez at clopez@njea.org or 609-599-4561, ext. 2290.