Reflecting on the Work of the NAGC Awards Program Task Force
By Tyler Clark, EdD
When was the last time you thought about NAGC’s award programs? For many members, the answer might be "not often," especially if you haven’t nominated someone or attended an award presentation. But awards are an important part of how NAGC celebrates excellence, builds community, and recognizes the extraordinary efforts of gifted education professionals, advocates, and students.
Recognizing the importance of this program—and the opportunities to improve and grow—the NAGC Board of Directors convened the Awards Program Task Force (APTF) in early 2024. As chair of the task force, I want to share the story of our work and what it might mean for the future of our awards program.
Why Did the Task Force Form?
The task force was established to take a comprehensive look at the structure and management of NAGC’s awards program. With awards operating at different levels of the organization (organizational awards, network awards, student scholarships, and more), the Board recognized the need for a strategic evaluation. Were we meeting the needs of members? Were the awards aligned with NAGC’s mission? Were there inefficiencies or inconsistencies in how awards were managed? These were the kinds of questions we set out to answer.
What Was Our Charge?
The APTF’s charge was ambitious but essential. We were tasked with evaluating the scope, structure, and administration of the awards program; analyzing policies, guidelines, and funding models; and providing the Board with a menu of options for future improvement. Specifically, we explored:
- How to ensure clarity and consistency for existing and future awards.
- Opportunities to increase member engagement in nominations, volunteer roles, and award ceremonies.
- Ways to streamline the nomination and selection process while maintaining fairness and transparency.
- Options for sustainable funding models.
What Did We Do?
Over the course of several months, our group of dedicated volunteers and staff partners undertook an in-depth review of NAGC’s awards program. Here are some highlights of our activities:
- Data Collection: We reviewed policies, historical nomination data, member demographics, and input from staff and members. We also conducted a survey of network leadership to better understand the structure and administration of network awards.
- Identifying Gaps and Challenges: From policy inconsistencies to the need for more K-12 educator-focused awards, we dug deep into what was and wasn’t working.
- Collaborative Problem-Solving: Through Zoom meetings and robust discussions, we developed a range of options to address the challenges we identified.
- Developing Recommendations: We organized our findings into a series of options for the Board, emphasizing the pros and cons of each to support informed decision-making.
What Did We Find?
At a high level, we discovered both strengths and opportunities for growth within the awards program. Here are a few key takeaways:
- Member Engagement: While the awards program is highly valued, there is significant room to increase member involvement—whether through nominations, volunteering, or attendance at award events.
- Policy Inconsistencies: Organizational and network awards are governed by different policies, which has led to inconsistencies in naming conventions, benefits, and review processes.
- Diversity and Equity: The current award portfolio does not adequately reflect NAGC’s commitment to diversity and equity. For example, these values are only explicitly mentioned in the context of a few student scholarships.
- Committee Capacity: The growing number of nominations has created a significant workload for the Awards Committee. Exploring options like microvolunteer roles or expanding committee size will be essential moving forward.
What’s Next?
Our task force has now completed its work and submitted a final report to the NAGC Board. The report included a thoughtful menu of options to enhance the awards program. These options focus on aligning the program more closely with NAGC’s mission, improving efficiency and equity, and creating meaningful recognition opportunities for members.
The Board will take the next steps in determining the future direction of the awards program. Whatever path they choose, we are confident that it will strengthen the program and its impact on the NAGC community.
A Word of Thanks
I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the incredible task force members who brought their expertise, passion, and creativity to this work, as well as to the NAGC staff who supported us every step of the way. This effort was a team endeavor, and it was a privilege to work alongside such dedicated individuals.
To our members, we hope you’ll continue to engage with NAGC’s awards program—by nominating someone, attending a ceremony, or even volunteering to support the process. The program exists to celebrate you and the extraordinary community of gifted education professionals, advocates, and learners.
Stay tuned for updates from the Board about the future of the awards program. In the meantime, if you have ideas or feedback about awards, feel free to reach out to us. Your voice matters, and we’re excited to continue recognizing excellence together.
