2025-26 Scholarships, Awards, Contests & Grants

There are many benefits of being a KEA member, including eligibility for scholarships, awards, contests, and grants sponsored by KEA, NEA, and their partners.  If you are a KEA member, some opportunities are also available for your family.  Read on to see how KEA can help you grow in your profession and support you in your classroom or work site. 

The awards, scholarships, contests, and grants listed below are open and are accepting applications.

Awards

KEA Smith-Wilson Award for Civil and Human Rights in Education:  Established by the KEA Commission on Human Relations at the request of the KEA Delegate Assembly, the Lucy Harth Smith-Atwood S. Wilson Award for Civil and Human Rights in Education was presented for the first time in 1974, and has been continuously awarded every year since then. The award is named for Mrs. Lucy Harth Smith (1888-1955), principal of Lexington’s Booker T. Washington Elementary School for 20 years, and Atwood S. Wilson (1895-1967), principal of Louisville’s Central High School for 29 years. Selected each year by the KEA Diversity Committee, the award recognizes the work of Kentucky individuals or organizations that support and contribute to progress in racial and social justice.  All nominations must be submitted by one or more KEA members, however, nominees may be any individual or group that meets the award criteria. Consideration will be given to nominees that do meaningful work in any of the following areas: encourage and support minorities to select the teaching profession; advance opportunities for youth of color; initiate or continue impactful work in the areas of human and civil rights; or lead in the field of innovative, creative and equitable education for all students.   Nominations for the 2026 Smith-Wilson award are now being accepted.  The deadline for all nominations is 5:00 p.m. Eastern, Saturday, January 31, 2026.

KEA Teacher of the Year:  Given annually, this award recognizes, rewards, and promotes excellence in teaching and advocacy for the association. All current Active certified members of a KEA local affiliate are eligible. Each KEA local affiliate may submit one nomination per year. If a local has more than one possible nominee, then the local affiliate will determine the nominee. Only nominations submitted and endorsed by a KEA local affiliate will be considered. The KEA Teacher of the Year will be honored at the 2026 KEA Delegate Assembly and will receive a $1,000 cash award.

The 2026 KEA Teacher of the Year will be KEA’s contestant for the 2027 NEA Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence. All state affiliate nominees for the 2027 NEA Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence will be invited to attend the Foundation gala in Washington, DC.

Each year, the NEA Foundation selects five (5) finalists from the submissions they receive. The five NEA finalists each receive The Horace Mann–NEA Foundation Awards for Teaching Excellence which include $10,000 cash and expenses-paid travel to The NEA Foundation’s annual Salute to Excellence in Education Gala in Washington, DC. One NEA Teacher of the Year will be selected from among the finalists; that person will receive an additional $25,000 in cash and a personalized commemorative gift.

Applications will be judged based on the following criteria: professional practice; advocacy for the profession; attention to equity and diversity; family and community engagement; and leadership in professional development.

Each applicant must submit a nomination letter from the local affiliate president, a current resume, a statement addressing each of the criteria listed above, up to three (3) letters of endorsement, and a photo for use by the Foundation and/or NEA. The required materials must be submitted all at once and cannot be collected on short notice.  We encourage all applicants to preview the application to give yourself enough time to collect all required items, including letters of recommendation. The 2026 KEA Teacher of the Year application is now open. The deadline for all applications is 5:00 p.m. Eastern, Saturday, January 31, 2026.

Education Support Professional of the Year:  The KEA Education Support Professional of the Year Award recognizes the contributions of Education Support Professionals to their schools, communities, and their profession. The award is presented to a member of the KEA who demonstrates outstanding accomplishments and reflects the contributions of ESPs to public education. The award is $1,000 cash and is given at the KEA Delegate Assembly each year.  The 2026 KEA ESP of the Year will be submitted to NEA to be considered for the 2027 NEA ESP of the Year.  All current Active ESP members of a KEA local affiliate or bargaining unit who have been KEA members for at least three years as of December 31, 2025 are eligible. The application for the 2026 KEA ESP of the Year is open and can be found here. The deadline for all applications is 5:00 p.m. Eastern, Saturday, January 31, 2026.

Scholarships

KEA President’s Scholarships: These scholarships are awarded annually to Active certified and ESP members in each KEA governance district. Funds are available to support members seeking a rank change or for those seeking National Board certification.  Continuing education scholarships are also available to ESP members.   The 2025-26 KEA Presidents’ Scholarship application is now open. The deadline for all applications will be 5:00 p.m. Eastern, Saturday, January 31, 2026.

Marnel C. Moorman Sr. Memorial Scholarship: The Marnel C. Moorman Sr. Memorial Scholarship is given in memory of the first African-American to be elected President of the Kentucky Education Association.  Mr. Moorman was serving his second term as president when he was killed in a car accident in 1994 while returning from a meeting with KEA members.  He believed deeply in the diversity of the teaching profession.  The past presidents of KEA established this scholarship to preserve his memory and honor his many contributions to public education. Current college students enrolled in an educator preparation program at an accredited Kentucky university or college who are also members of KEA Aspiring Educators are eligible to apply.  High school seniors who have a family member that is a KEA member and who plan to major in education are also eligible to apply.  Ethnic-minority status will be considered but is not required.   A $1000 scholarship will be offered to each successful candidate on a one-year basis. The 2025-26 application may be submitted using this form. The deadline for all applications is 5:00 p.m. Eastern, Saturday, January 31, 2026.

Marvin Dodson-Carl Perkins Scholarships: Successful candidates must meet these requirements: 1) Be a member of the KEA Aspiring Educators; 2) Be a college junior, senior, post-baccalaureate student or MAT candidate in a Kentucky college or university during 2025-26, and; 3) Not have previously won a Dodson-Perkins scholarship. Applications are submitted to the KEA MOVE Committee, which will determine the winners. KEA will award multiple scholarships totaling $6000; no single award will exceed $1000 or be less than $500.  Winners will be honored at the 2026 KEA Delegate Assembly. The 2025-26 application is now open. The deadline for all applications is 5:00 p.m. Eastern, Saturday, January 31, 2026.

Representative Paul Mason Memorial Scholarship:   This scholarship is named after Rep. Paul Mason, who used his time in the Kentucky House to champion the cause of those less fortunate.  The scholarship is awarded each year at the KESPA pre-delegate caucus, which usually occurs in March. Active or Retired ESP members or their children or grandchildren are eligible to apply. The 2026 application is now open. The deadline for all applications is 5:00 p.m. eastern, Saturday, January 31, 2026.

KEA-Retired/Tom Denton Memorial Scholarship: Named for a past vice president of KEA who later became president of KEA-Retired, the Tom Denton Memorial Scholarship is funded by interested supporters of education.  Scholarships will be presented yearly using the principal and interest of the fund.  Each scholarship will be at least $800 but not more than $1000. Eligible applicants shall be juniors, seniors, or MAT candidates in a Kentucky college for the following school year.  Preference will be given to students who are KEA Aspiring Educator members, plan to teach in Kentucky, have an outstanding academic record and show evidence of financial need.  The 2026 application is now open and can be accessed here. The deadline for all submissions is 5:00 p.m. Eastern, Saturday, January 31, 2026

Contests

Diversity Lesson Plan Contest – Do you have a great diversity-focused lesson plan that you want to share? KEA believes that diversity in the classroom is important for students of all races, and that understanding people from other cultures builds a strong social foundation for our country. Each year, the KEA Diversity Committee sponsors a contest to select four lesson plans that emphasize diversity and present the concept to students in age-appropriate and engaging ways. Lesson plans will be scored based on this rubric. Two individual winners will each receive $250 and will be recognized at the KEA DA in April. The 2025-26 application can be found here. The deadline for all submissions is 5:00 p.m. Eastern, Saturday, January 31, 2026.

ESP Diversity Project: The ESP Diversity Project contest encourages KEA ESP members to submit information about a project or activity they implemented at their worksite with a theme of racial/social justice, encouraging diversity or accepting differences. All KEA ESP members are invited to participate. Submissions can be by individuals or by teams. Projects/activities will be judged by the KEA Diversity Committee. Winning projects will receive $250, which may be awarded individually or divided equally among identified team members. Winners will be recognized at the 2026 KEA Delegate Assembly. If applicable, photos of the winning projects will be displayed at the KEA DA. Please submit information about your ESP Diversity Project or Activity through this link. The deadline for all submissions is 5:00 p.m. Eastern, Saturday, January 31, 2026.

#DifferenceMakers 2025-26 Student Art Contest: Show us how talented your students are! Have each of your students submit an 8 1/2 X 11 portrait of the educator who has made a difference to them. Send your students’ #DifferenceMakers portraits and one copy of the required information form for each individual submission to KEA. You can download the official #DifferenceMakers entry form and rules here. One winner in each grade span (P-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12) will be selected. The winning students and their teachers will each win $50! The 2025-26 #DifferenceMakers contest is open and KEA is accepting submissions. All original submissions must be received by KEA, 401 Capital Avenue, Frankfort, KY by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on Monday, February 2, 2026. With permission, winning submissions will be published in the KEA News and may be published on KEA social media platforms