The Professional Development Stipend & Opportunities
About the Awards
Background
The Grinspoon-Steinhardt Awards for Excellence in Jewish Education are designed
to recognize teachers in communities across North America who have made a commitment
to the field of Jewish education. The Awards honor outstanding classroom-based
teachers in formal Jewish educational settings (early childhood through grade
12). Awards Winners are chosen through their central agency for Jewish education
or, where no central agency exists, through their federation. The Awards were
first established by the Grinspoon Foundation in 2000 and joined by the Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish
Life in 2002.
Eligibility
Nominees for the Awards must:
- Demonstrate exceptional achievement and serve as a role model in Jewish education
- Have a minimum of 3 years experience in the field
- Teach at least 6 hours per week in a Jewish day school or other formal Jewish educational setting (educators can fulfill the hour requirement in more than one institution)
- Be classroom-based Jewish educators in one of the following categories:
- early childhood educator
- day school teacher, grades K-12
- congregational school teacher, grades K-12
Local communities may add additional criteria for eligibility; they may also include their own similar criteria from a pre-existing local award.Nominations of previous Grinspoon Awards and Grinspoon-Steinhardt Awards recipients will not be considered.
Procedures
Nominations from local communities (excepting the Greater New York and Los Angeles Metropolitan areas) are limited to one (1) outstanding educator. Consideration of nominees will proceed on a first-come, first-reviewed basis to a maximum of 55 Grinspoon-Steinhardt Awards winners.
Teachers may be nominated ONLY by their principal or school administrator. Nominations are then submitted to the local Central Agency for Jewish Education or, where no Central Agency exists, to the local Federation. Once the local community has selected their nominee(s) their final applications should be forwarded via email to gsawards@jesna.org where a National Awards Panel will confirm selection of the final recipients. While this Committee may seek additional information about a candidate before confirming his/her nomination, the judgment of each local selection committee is the most important criterion. Please note: JESNA will not compare candidates to one another.
Awards Benefits
The 2010 Awards offers national recognition and opportunities for professional development to its recipients, each of whom will be
awarded a minimum of $2,000. There are several important and exciting changes to the Awards Program from years past.
The Grinspoon-Steinhardt Awards professional development stipend in 2010 is $1,000. Each Winner must use this stipend for his or her own professional development within two years of receiving the Award.
The remaining $1,000 is for use at the recipient's discretion.
In addition, the Awards Winners will be invited to engage in a new, North American Community of Practice (CoP) established through the generosity of the funders that replaces the national Awards Seminar and ceremony. The CoP will provide ongoing opportunities for Awards winners to participate in high-quality, ongoing of professional development through webinars with a cadre of outstanding educational professionals. These events will help Awards winners to network, to expand knowledge and skills, and to share expertise.
The Grinspoon-Steinhardt Awards bring national recognition to local communities and their outstanding educators. JESNA will share guidance, ideas, and best practices with local communities to strengthen local awards ceremonies in the absence of the national ceremony.
2010 Grinspoon-Steinhardt Awards Application
- Application Instructions
- Part A (to be completed by school nominator)
- Part B (to be completed by nominated educator)
- Part C (to be completed by supporting nominator)
- Part D (to be completed by central agency or federation executive)
| Click here for a list of past Winners |
| Click here for a map of participating communities |
