Are you looking for a way to bring recognition to your program and your school? Do you have a colleague, administrator, or advocate that you would like to thank for their commitment to world languages? One of the benefits of membership to KWLA is that you are eligible to nominate deserving professionals (and be nominated) for our annual awards. KWLA is seeking nominations for awards presented annually to educators and leaders in world languages. Please nominate an outstanding colleague today!

Awards Nominations Guidelines
The Kentucky World Language Association is seeking nominations for awards presented to educators and leaders in world languages!

General Nomination Procedures:
If you are nominating for the Outstanding Teacher of the Year award, please visit the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award webpage for instructions as to how to nominate a candidate.

2025  Argelia Rodriguez Garcia

2024  Stephanie Bellot-Donaldson * KY TOY, SCOLT TOY

2023  Mercedes Harn

2022  Manuel Nieto

2021 Rachel Weinrich

2020 Jennifer Hoban* KY TOY

2019 Yan Wang

2018 Kimberly Fry

2017 Madeline Griffitt

2016  Ben McMaine

2015  Melissa Willing

2014 Mitsuko Mamozana *KY TOY

2013 Alfonso de la Torres

Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award

The road to ACTFL starts here!

Award Description

This award recognizes an individual of the world language teaching profession who has demonstrated long-term achievement and service to the profession. Candidates for this award are automatically those who have been named the “Teacher of the Year” selected and awarded by the executive boards from the Kentucky Chapters of each of their own respective professional language teaching organizations (currently in Kentucky, there are organizations for Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, and K-8). The winner of this award will represent KWLA in the running to be named the Regional Teacher of the Year at SCOLT (www.scolt.org) or CSCTFL (www.csctfl.org), and then, potentially, at the national level at ACTFL (www.actfl.org)!

Candidate Qualities

• Frequent use of the target language in instruction

• Designs instruction to meet the individual needs of all learners

• Designs and implements activities that meet the goals of the World Readiness Standards set forth by ACTFL

• Engages students in cultural learning both inside and outside of the classroom

• Continuously seeks out opportunities to grow and improve his or her own professional practice

• Stays actively involved in professional language teaching organizations

• Exhibits strong leadership skills through various experiences (e.g. presenting sessions and workshops for conferences)

• Exhibits excellent verbal and written communication skills

• Regularly and effectively advocates in his or her community, and if given the opportunity at the state and even national level, for the advancement and enhancement of world language teaching and learning for all students.

Award Criteria

• Current KWLA members in good standing with a minimum of three consecutive years of membership and a minimum of five years’ experience as a world language educator (K-16).

  1. In addition to KWLA membership, candidates must also be current members in good standing with their affiliate organization ) (currently in Kentucky, there are organizations for Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, and K-8) and with a minimum of three consecutive years of membership.

  2. Candidates must be full-time language teachers who spend at least half of their time in direct teaching, and who expect to continue teaching for at least two more years.

• A record of excellence in teaching

• Professional achievements and activities

• Evidence of continued professional growth

• Service to the world language teaching profession

Award Nomination Procedures

• STEP 1: Review above the candidate qualities and the award eligibility criteria.

• STEP 2: Gather all the required award nomination evidence (see next section).

• STEP 3: Submit the nomination and all the evidence to the president of the professional language teaching organization of your nominee (see the list of contacts at the bottom of this page).

  1. Note 1: If the nominate does not have an organization that represents the language the nominate teaches, please submit the nomination and all the evidence to the Chair of the Awards Committee (awards@kwla.org). The nomination will be reviewed by the Awards Committee, and if the criteria is met, the candidate will be conferred the title of “Outstanding Italian/Arabic/Russian/etc. Teacher of the Year” and they will officially be in the running to be named “Outstanding Teacher of the Year” by KWLA.

  2. Note 2: Please be aware that the professional language teaching organizations may have a specific process in place for this step. Please check with the presidents of those organizations.

• DEADLINE: All nominations and evidence must be submitted to the Chair of the Awards Committee by June 30th.

Award Nomination Evidence

• Letter of endorsement from a professional colleague

• Letter of endorsement from a supervisor/administrator

• Letter of endorsement from a current or former student or parent – A short video would be most recommended and preferred

• Current Curriculum Vitae of not more than five pages which includes: Educational background; Teaching experience; Recent travel related to teaching; Service to the world language profession as a whole; Membership in other professional organizations; Workshops given, papers presented, articles published; Awards and honors received

• A five hundred word first-person statement on the importance of developing language and cultural competencies

List of Professional Language Teaching Organizations & Contact Info:

• (NNELL-KY) National Network for Early Language Learning  – KY Representative Nadine Jacobsen McClean: njm.edu@gmail.com (If you would like to nominate a world language teacher who teaches at the elementary and middle school levels, no matter what language they teach, this is the person you will contact!)

• (KAJLT) Kentucky Association for Japanese Language Teachers – President: Elena Kamenetzky –  elena.kamenetzky@jefferson.kyschools.us

• (KACLT) Kentucky Association for Chinese Language Teachers – President Na Li: na.li@wku.edu

• (KCA) Kentucky Classical Association – President Lucianne Junker: lucianne.junker@fayette.kyschools.us

• (AATG-KY) American Association of Teachers of German-Kentucky – President Collin Smith:  margaret.smith1@warren.kyschools.us

• (AATF-KY) American Association of Teachers of French-Kentucky – President Donna Tatum-Johns – donna.tatumjohns@gmail.com

• (AATSP-KY) American Association of Teachers of Spanish & Portuguese-Kentucky – President Pilar Gomez: pilar.gomez@anchorage.kyschools.us 

Special Note:

Teachers selected as “KWLA Outstanding Teacher of the Year” and “Outstanding Rising Star Teacher” will be asked to fill out and sign a commitment form indicating they will:

1. Attend the KWLA conference next year and the following,

2. Serve on the KWLA Awards Committee and participate in the interview process to help in determining the winner of next year’s Outstanding Teacher of the Year,

3. Present a professional learning workshop for teachers in Spring,

4. Be willing to serve as a spokesperson for the profession at KWLA and other advocacy events, and

5. Attend the affiliated regional conference (SCOLT) to represent KWLA and commit to attending the ACTFL National Convention if selected as the regional winner.

Have any further questions about awards and nomination procedures? Please contact the KWLA Awards Committee Chair anytime at: awards@kwla.org

DISCLAIMER: A press release for winners of the Outstanding Teacher Award will be published within a week after the conference. Press releases for all other awards winners will be available by request only.