Nominate an Educator

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2011 Covenant Awards for Exceptional Jewish Educators

The Covenant Foundation announces the twenty-first annual Covenant Awards and invites new nominations of extraordinary educators to be considered for these 2011 Awards. Designed to honor, thank, and celebrate outstanding educators, Covenant Awards are presented to three individuals each year. Each Award carries with it a prize of $36,000 for the educator and an additional $5,000 for the educator's home institution.

Over the past twenty years, sixty remarkable educators have received Covenant Awards. These individuals represent the creativity, commitment, and talent in a field that is increasingly being recognized and supported by the community. Recipients have distinguished themselves in a myriad of ways in Jewish education, including classroom teaching, family education, dance, music, adult education, tzedakah, storytelling, Hillel work, curriculum design, leadership, and professional development.

The responsibilities of the Award nominator, Letter of Support writers, and Award nominee are clearly delineated in this brochure. Note that the role of the nominator is crucial. The process requires the oversight of the nominator from beginning to end; it is the nominator’s responsibility to ensure that all parties are aware of all requirements and deadlines. The deadlines are firm; no exceptions will be made.

Eligibility

Educators at any stage of their careers with significant achievements in the field of Jewish education are eligible to be nominated for a Covenant Award. Please note, however, that the Award is only given to people currently active in the field and is not typically used to mark the conclusion of a career. Educators working in any setting in North America are eligible to receive a Covenant Award, including those working in day schools, congregational schools, camps, informal education, Hillel programs, family and adult programs, and other kinds of educational endeavors. Educators teaching primarily in a college, seminary, or university setting for credit are not eligible.

Previous Nominees

Educators whose dossiers were first considered for the 2009 or 2010 Awards will automatically be reconsidered for the 2011 Awards. Nominees with complete, still eligible dossiers who do not wish to be considered should notify the Foundation as soon as possible. The Foundation also allows the renomination of Award nominees who were considered for the 2008 Awards or earlier (nominated in or before 2007). These materials should include a new Statement of Nomination, new Biographical Information, new Statements of Motivation and Purpose, and new Letters of Support.

The Foundation has disposed of all dossiers considered for the 2008 Awards or earlier. Candidates may contact the Covenant Foundation if they have any questions about their status.

Selection Criteria

To be considered for a Covenant Award, a completed Award dossier must demonstrate that the candidate

  • is an exceptional Jewish educator who has had a significant impact on others,
  • has contributed creatively to advancing the transmission of Jewish knowledge, values, and identity, and
  • is a positive role model.

Nominations

Anyone concerned with Jewish education in North America is welcome to submit a nomination for the Covenant Awards. We encourage nominations from communitymembers and professionals of all religious denominations and from all institutional frameworks. No one may nominate more than one person for a Covenant Award in any one year. We will not consider any candidates who are self-nominated or nominated by an immediate family member.

Formatting Requirements

The documents required for nomination must be prepared according to the following guidelines. All nomination materials should be prepared as single-sided, double-spaced 8 1/2” x 11” documents, using a 12-point font. All pages must be numbered.

How to Nominate an Educator

Part I. Responsibilities of the Nominator Those who wish to nominate an educator for a Covenant Award have the following three responsibilities:

  1. Submit a Statement of Nomination via post and e-mail to be received by the Covenant Foundation no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, November 18, 2010. The e-mail must be sent to awards@covenantfn.org, and the subject line must read “Nomination of (first and last name of nominee).” The Statement of Nomination must include the following three parts:

    1. Cover Page on a single sheet of paper:

      1. Information about the nominee (each entry should be on a separate line):

        • Name
        • Organization
        • Professional title
        • Street address (home/work)
        • City, State, Zip
        • Telephone number (day/work)
        • Telephone number (evening)
        • E-mail address
        • Current professional affiliation(s)
        • Years of service in Jewish education
        Please note that the address you provide on this cover page will be used by the Foundation for all future correspondence. Please ensure that it is correct and indicate whether it is the nominee’s work or home address.

      2. Information about the nominator (each entry should be on a separate line):

        • Name
        • Organization
        • Professional title
        • Street address (home/work)
        • City, State, Zip
        • Telephone number (day/work)
        • Telephone number (evening)
        • E-mail address
        • Current professional affiliation(s), if applicable
        • Professional relationship to the nominee (e.g., student, teacher, colleague, community member, congregant, etc.)
        Please indicate whether the address provided is your work or home address.

    2. A Written Statement from the nominator describing the nominee’s exceptional contributions to the field of Jewish education and explaining why these contributions merit a Covenant Award. This statement must be limited to two 8 1/2” x 11” double-spaced, single-sided pages, using 12-point font. The statement may not exceed 700 words.

  2. Send the Notice of Nomination letter to the nominee. The Notice of Nomination letter notifies the nominee that he or she is being considered for a Covenant Award and provides detailed information about how to complete his or her dossier. All of the nominee’s materials must be submitted via post and e-mail and must be received by the Covenant Foundation no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, December 1, 2010. The nominator is responsible for ensuring that the Award candidate knows that he or she has been nominated and is aware of all relevant deadlines. (Also see Nominee's Responsibilities below.)

  3. Invite three people to write Letters of Support. This invitation notifies the writer that he or she is being asked to write a Letter of Support on behalf of the nominee and provides detailed information about how to complete the letter. These letters should be written by colleagues, former or current students, or community members who have worked directly with the nominee. Letters should be solicited from people who know the nominee from different contexts. (Also see "Responsibilities of the Letter of Support Writer" for complete instructions.)

An important part of the nominator’s responsibility is to ensure that the writers of the Letters of Support complete their letters to the specifications outlined in the following section and are informed of the submission deadline, which is 5:00 p.m. EST on December 1, 2010. If all three letters are not received by the Covenant Foundation via post and e-mail by this deadline, the candidate will not be eligible for consideration this year. The nominator may wish to consider collecting these Letters of Support and submitting all of them at one time via post and e-mail. Please do not send more than three letters. Note that extra, unsolicited materials will not be considered in the Awards process.

Part II. Responsibilities of the Letter of Support Writer Each Letter of Support writer is responsible for submitting the following information via post and e-mail to be received by the Covenant Foundation no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on December 1, 2010. No exceptions will be made. The e-mail must be sent to awards@covenantfn.org, and the subject line must read “Letter of support for (first and last name of nominee).” The letter must include both a cover page and a written statement. The latter must not exceed two 8 1/2” x 11” double-spaced, single-sided pages, using 12-point font. The statement may not exceed 700 words.

  1. Cover Page containing contact information (each entry should be on a separate line):

    • Name of Covenant Award nominee
    • Name of Letter of Support writer
    • Professional title and affiliation of Letter of Support writer
    • Address of Letter of Support writer, including street, city, state, and zip
    • Telephone number (day/work)
    • Telephone number (evening)
    • E-mail address of Letter of Support writer
    • Professional relationship of Letter of Support writer to the nominee

  2. Written Statement The statement should comment on the nominee’s effectiveness, his or her impact on students both in and out of the classroom, contributions as an educator in the transmission of Jewish knowledge, values, and identity, pioneering educational activities, if any, and special approaches to education.

Part III. Nominee’s Responsibilities The nominee is responsible for submitting the following information via post and e-mail to be received by the Covenant Foundation no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on December 1, 2010. The e-mail must be sent to awards@covenantfn.org, and the subject line must contain the first and last name of the nominee.

  1. Biographical Information Please do not substitute a resume in place of this information. The biographical information must include the following parts:

    1. Information about the nominee (each entry should be on a separate line):

      • Name
      • Organization
      • Professional title
      • Street address (home/work)
      • City, State, Zip
      • Telephone number (day/work)
      • Telephone number (evening)
      • E-mail address
      • Date submitted

    2. Training information about the nominee (each entry should be on a separate line):

      • All training and post-secondary general education
      • Dates attended the programs
      • All degrees awarded, including areas of concentration

    3. Professional positions held by the nominee (each entry should be on a separate line):

      • List positions chronologically, with the most recent position listed first.
      • List up to four positions in Jewish education held by the nominee, including the institution’s name and full address, professional title, duties, and most significant achievements.

    4. Teaching and leadership positions held by the nominee (each entry should be on a separate line):

      • Other related teaching and leadership positions held by the nominee, including sponsoring institution and dates participated
    5. Honors and awards received by the nominee (each entry should be on a separate line):
      • The most significant honors and awards received by the nominee (up to five)
      • The nature of the award, the organization that made the award, and the date it was received.

    6. Publications, if applicable.

      • If the nominee has more than ten publications, please include only the ten most recent or relevant.

  2. Statement of Motivation The Statement of Motivation must not exceed three 8 1/2” x 11” double-spaced, single-sided pages, using 12-point font. It may not exceed 1,000 words. The statement should highlight the formative experiences that compelled the candidate to become a Jewish educator. It may include a description of educational programs or life experiences that have formed the basis of the educator’s commitment to transmitting Judaism.

  3. Statement of Purpose The Statement of Purpose must not exceed three 8 1/2” x 11” double-spaced, single-sided pages, using 12-point font. It may not exceed 1,000 words. The statement should describe what the nominee hopes to achieve in his or her career in Jewish education, the most meaningful aspects of that involvement, and what aspirations the nominee holds for his or her future work.

Note that extra, unsolicited materials will not be considered in the Awards process.

All requested materials must be sent to:
2011 Awards Selection Committee
The Covenant Foundation
1270 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 304
New York, NY 10020-1702

Electronic copies of all materials must also be submitted as e-mail attachments. E-mail should be sent to awards@covenantfn.org, and the first and last name of the nominee must appear in the subject line.

Selection Procedures and Notification of Covenant Award Recipients All completed nominations will undergo a process of peer review. They will be read by the Covenant Foundation staff and the Awards Selection Committee. During the selection process, Covenant Foundation staff may request additional information from candidates. The Executive Director of the Covenant Foundation will advise all nominators, nominees, and Award recipients of the final determinations in May 2011. No information will be provided over the telephone regarding Award status.

Please contact the Covenant Foundation with any questions you may have regarding the nomination process:
phone: 212-245-3500
fax: 212-245-0619
e-mail: awards@covenantfn.org

Next: Important Deadlines


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Timeline

November 18, 2010

Statement of Award Nomination received by the Covenant Foundation no later than 5 p.m. EST in hard copy and e-mail

December 1, 2010

Three Letters of Support for the Award Nominee received by the Covenant Foundation no later than 5 p.m. EST in hard copy and e-mail

December 1, 2010

Biographical Information, Statement of Motivation, and Statement of Purpose from the Award Nominee received by the Covenant Foundation no later than 5 p.m. EST in hard copy and e-mail

May, 2011

Covenant Award recipients announced

“Our Jewish tradition puts significance on this 18th anniversary, as it corresponds to the Hebrew word for life, ‘chai.’ And so we are gathered to celebrate that Tree of Life that we planted 18 years ago and to marvel at all the wonderful fruit that it has borne.” — Eli Evans, chairman of the board of directors, The Covenant Foundation

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