How it Works
Anyone can nominate an educator who deserves to be recognized for their courage. Just submit a short essay—whatever that means to you—about why your nominee should receive the award. The deadline for submissions each year is March 1. After March 1, our board of directors will review all of your inspiring submissions. The winner of the Barbara Henry Courage in Teaching Award educator will receive an award of recognition and a monetary gift in the Spring of the same academic year.
Eligibility
Anyone who works in education anywhere in the world is eligible to win. The only other requirement is that they have shown their bravery as an advocate for students within the academic year. Many courageous teachers, paraprofessionals, and educators will be featured on our blog, but winners will have acted with a focus on social change. Awarded teachers will have demonstrated (through their teaching and/or through their position as a teacher) advocacy for all students to be included, treated equitably, and given equal access to educational resources regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation. These awarded teachers will have acted with bravery or spoken up with courage in order to improve the lives of their students and their learning communities, as Barbara Henry so did when the moment and the superintendent of the New Orleans Public School called her in the fall of 1960.
If you have any questions regarding eligibility, please don't hesitate to contact us. We will do our best to help you!
If you have any questions regarding eligibility, please don't hesitate to contact us. We will do our best to help you!
How to Submit
To nominate a courageous educator, please review the following items:
- A short essay about an educator who deserves to be recognized for an act of courage. You can write about whatever you like, but here are a few guiding questions to consider: How did the teacher show bravery? Who was advocated for? What kind of risk was taken? Did their actions make a difference?
- Essay requirements: Please submit your essay as a Word document or a Google doc, along with your name and contact information, the full name of the educator you are nominating, and the name and physical address of the institution or organization where they work. There are no rules or requirements, but we generally recommend a length of 500-2500 words. If you cannot submit your essay in English, please send us an email and we will do our best to help you!
- Essays can be sent via email to barbarahenryaward@gmail.com or posted (the old fashioned way!) to PO Box W, Boulder, CO 80306. We will do our best to confirm that your submission has been received.
- If you are also interested in us featuring your story on the Courage in Teaching Blog, please make sure you let us know! Let's be honest—we could all use more good news.
- If there's anything we missed, or if you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to contact us using the contact form or send us an email.
