RAPSA Announces the Reaching At-Promise Student Awards Nominations 

The nomination window ended on September 30. Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination for these awards. If you have questions about your nomination, please contact Ernie Silva (ernie.silva@siatech.org).

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Reaching At-Promise Student Awards!  

Please join RAPSA as we embark on an awards event at the Alternative Accountability Policy Forum – Reaching At-Promise Student Awards!  These awards are intended to recognize the extraordinary promise of our students and the amazing work being done to support them across the country – A celebration not a competition. 
 
Between August 1 and September 30 we will be accepting nominations for three awards that focus on the courage, vision and heart of reengaged students and the adults who serve them.  We are encouraging nominations of at promise students and committed educators, policy makers and other program administrators who are making a difference across the country.
 
You may nominate individuals in more than one category and you may nominate more than one individual in each category.  Please use the attached forms and submit them by September 30, 2016 .   We encourage nominations to include a 2 minute video about the nominee and their work.  Videos of the award winners will be shown at the RAPSA Awards Luncheon in San Diego on October 28th.  If you would like to submit a video but cannot produce it for inclusion with the nomination, make a note of that in your nomination and you may submit the video by October 15, 2016.  Nominations may be supported by letters from community organizations, businesses, elected officials and others with knowledge of the nominee’s qualities and experiences.
 
Nominations will be reviewed by the Alternative Accountability Policy Forum advisory committee for recommendations to the Reaching At Promise Student Association Board of Directors.  The RAPSA Board will make the award selections.  All decisions of the RAPSA Board are final.
 
Finally, this is the first year that we are offering the RAPSA Awards.  Our intent is to bring the community serving at promise students together to recognize the courageous work that is being done by each of you to serve our remarkably resilient student population.  And to value the amazing promise that these young people demonstrate.  We hope that our award winners and nominators can be present at the October 28th event and are seeking sponsors to help with travel costs.  We hope that all nominees and nominators will be encouraged and inspired by their inclusion.

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We offer three separate categories 

RAPSA Courage Award

RAPSA Courage Form.doc
File Size:	235 kb
File Type:	doc

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Online form

For a student who demonstrates courage in overcoming obstacles and pursuing academic excellence and dreams.

Nominations are open for at promise students who have demonstrated the ability to overcome obstacles to pursue their dreams by pursuing academic excellence.  Nominees may include reengaged students or others who have faced unusual barriers to completing their high school education and did so recognizing the value of a high school diploma for personal, family or community accomplishments. 

​Nominees should have received or will receive their diplomas in the 2015-16 or 2016-17 school year.

RAPSA Vision Award

RAPSA Vision Form.doc
File Size:	236 kb
File Type:	doc

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Online Form

For a legislator or policy maker who demonstrates vision in pursuing creative policies that lead to the re-engagement of at promise youth.

​Nominations are open for policy makers who have demonstrated exceptional understanding of the challenges faced by at promise youth and pursued policies to facilitate their engagement.  Nominees may include legislators, governmental officials and other policy makers who develop and implement creative policies or programs to attract and retain students who would otherwise be left out of traditional school programs.

RAPSA Heart Award

RAPSA Heart Form.doc
File Size:	236 kb
File Type:	doc

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Online Form

For educators or community program administrators who demonstrate a heart for at promise students and the challenges that they face in overcoming them.

Nominations are open for teachers or administrators who have demonstrated the capacity to see beyond the trauma faced by at promise students and reengage them with respect and integrity.  Nominees may include teachers, other education leaders and administrators of community programs serving opportunity youth that offer abundant levels of support to enable at promise students to continue on in their academic endeavors despite conflicting life challenges.
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​The nomination form requests a 500-word narrative that tells the story of why the nomination was made; an identification of the specific geographic area that the nominee is from so that we can inform media and legislators that someone from their area has received an award.  Nominations are encouraged to include a brief 2 minute video or other multi-media presentation that outlines the merits of the award nominee and would be available for the award ceremony on October 28th.

​RAPSA thanks the generosity of Learn 4 life and RENAISSANCE Learning for co-sponsoring the awards event.