NCSS & KF Excellence in DEI Awards

PRESS RELEASE —December 5, 2022

Silver Spring, MD -- National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and the Kaur Foundation are proud to announce three new annual awards to honor social studies teaching and leadership excellence in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

The Cultural Literacy Award will recognize a teacher or administrator for their contribution to increasing knowledge of distinct cultural practices and identities, inclusive of the Sikhs, such that students from diverse backgrounds feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued to fully participate in classrooms and school activities. The Religious Literacy Award will recognize a teacher or administrator for their efforts to integrate knowledge of diverse faith traditions, inclusive of the Sikh tradition, into courses or curricula at their school or designed pedagogy with values of respect, and social justice that acknowledge and respect students’ religious practices. These awards each include a $1,500 prize. The DEI Instructional Innovation Award will recognize a teacher, administrator or an institution that has developed and taught a modified course, revised curricula, or created equity and inclusion tools to support inclusiveness resulting in changes of demonstrated or measurable impact in classrooms and schools. This award includes a $2,500 prize.

All three awards are designed to recognize the contributions of outstanding educators and administrators who build safe and welcoming classrooms and communities to safeguard civil rights and promote excellence in education empowering all. These awards were previously given exclusively by the Kaur Foundation. At a special reception sponsored by the Kaur Foundation during the 102nd NCSS Annual Conference in Philadelphia, the transition of these awards to become co-sponsored with NCSS was made official. It is anticipated that each award will now have a wider reach and impact through the NCSS membership community.

“NCSS is always looking for opportunities to honor excellence within our profession, and this partnership will allow us to expand recognition to cultural literacy and religious literacy, two areas that we do not currently have an opportunity to honor,” said Dr. Shannon Pugh, 2022-23 president of NCSS.

“NCSS is honored to partner with the Kaur Foundation in uplifting and supporting best and promising practices that advance diversity, equity, and inclusion across all social studies disciplines,” said Dr. Lawrence Paska, executive director of NCSS. “We believe these awards further our goal to raise and celebrate all voices who work hard every day to create a solid social studies foundation in every classroom.”