When you hear the phrase Education Support Professional, ESP for short, it’s difficult to imagine exactly what that person does every day and what kind of role they play in education. This catch-all term that describes many categories of workers – from teacher assistants and paraprofessionals to custodians, secretaries, and office managers – only scratches the surface of how these individuals contribute to the success of a school, a classroom, a student’s daily life.

2025 ESP of the Year

Providing support with kindness, caring, friendship, and commitment. It’s what an Education Support Professional does each day and every year we honor one among the many who exemplifies the ESP vocation.

The Education Support Professional (ESP) of the Year is a member who demonstrates outstanding accomplishments and reflects the vital role ESPs play in public education.

The ESP of the Year nomination period is now open!

Nominate that favorite ESP colleague who contributes to student and school success each and every day. ESPs are the teacher assistants, paraprofessionals, custodians, secretaries, office managers, administrative assistants, maintenance personnel, campus police, and technical support staff in your schools.

The nominee chosen by the NEARI selection committee will be honored at the annual ESP Dinner in November with the Gail Colburn ESP of the Year award and will be submitted to represent Rhode Island in the national NEA ESP of the Year honor.

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AWARD CRITERIA

The NEA ESP of the Year selection committee will review and score the nominations using the updated ESP of the Year award criteria outlined below.

• Impact on students. Describe specific actions you have taken and how those actions positively impacted student learning, social-emotional well-being, health and/or safety.
• Impact on families and the community. Describe specific actions you have taken and how those actions have positively impacted families and/or the local community.
• Union engagement and activism, with a focus on ESP workforce issues. Describe how your engagement and activism with the local or state union/association have positively impacted ESPs' professional stature (e.g., importance and reputation), stability (e.g., wages, benefits, and job security), and/or effectiveness (e.g., professional practice).
• Impact on colleagues. Describe specific actions you have taken and how those actions have positively impacted colleagues at your school campus, school district, or worksite.

To assist in telling a story and focus on impact (instead of simply submitting a list of accomplishments), each criterion follws the same cadence: "What action was taken, and what impact did that action have?"

ELIGIBILITY

*The Nominee must be an active NEA/NEARI member for at least three years as of December 31, 2024 to be eligible. Retired members are not eligible for the award. Individuals must be nominated by their state affiliate through a state ESP award program.

DEADLINES

Deadline to submit nominations is July 19, 2024.

Nomination Form