Arizona School Counselors Association
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School Counselor of the Year Award

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Nominate an outstanding school counselor for the prestigious AzSCA School Counselor of the Year Award! The nomination takes just a few minutes and is an important way that our professional organization can honor the great work of school counselors in our state.

Eligibility

  • The applicant must be employed as a full-time, Arizona-based, practicing school counselor on Oct. 1, 2023.
  • The applicant must have five years of full-time experience as a practicing school counselor. The past three consecutive years must be at an Arizona-based school.
  • The applicant must hold a master’s degree in guidance and counseling or equivalent and be certified as a school counselor by the state, district or U.S. territory. 
  • The applicant must be an AzSCA professional member as of Oct. 1, 2023.
  • The applicant must also be an American School Counselor Association (ASCA) member as of Oct. 1, 2023.
  • Previous recipients of the AzSCA School Counselor of the Year award are not eligible. Semi-finalists are eligible and encouraged to apply.
  • Applicants must first be nominated by someone other than themselves by November 17, 2023.  If the nomination meets the eligibility requirements, the applicant will receive further instructions from AzSCA on how to proceed and what to submit.
  • The applicant must meet all these requirements and submit their complete application by the deadline of December 1, 2023 at 11:59pm.

Rewards

The recipient of Arizona School Counselor of the Year will receive:
  • Monetary reward of $1,000
  • All expenses paid trip to Washington D.C., provided by the American School Counselor Association
  • Consideration for National Counselor of the Year
  • Recognition at 2024 AzSCA Conference Awards Luncheon (February 5, 2024)
  • Complimentary 2025 AzSCA Conference Registration
  • Breakout presentations at the 2025 AzSCA Conference
  • Financial support to/from AzSCA advocacy events

Deadlines

Nominations are due November 17, 2023.

Nominees who pass the vetting process must complete the application by December 1, 2023.

Judging Criteria

  • The applicant must demonstrate evidence of implementation of a comprehensive, data-driven school counseling program (such as the ASCA National Model) and have been responsible for school counseling innovations or further development of programs supporting students’ academic, career, and personal/social development. 
  • The applicant must demonstrate leadership and collaboration in his or her work and promote equity and access to opportunities and rigorous educational experiences for all students to maximize student achievement. Applicants must also demonstrate collaboration with stakeholders. All activities or accomplishments must have taken place within the previous five years. 
  • The applicant must demonstrate continual professional development as well as proof of advocacy for the professional and/or students. 
  • The applicant must have the ability and skills necessary to represent school counseling in a professional manner, including but not limited to high-quality written communication and public-speaking skills. 
  • The applicant should maintain the highest standards of personal conduct and recognize that his/her personal conduct is held up to public scrutiny. Applicants strive to be model citizens of their community as well as the school counseling community and their broader professional community. They maintain high moral standards in their personal and professional conduct. 

Contact/Questions

Amanda Miller
Professional Recognition Coordinator
Amanda@hatchingresults.com