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 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 is 5:00 PM Eastern on Monday, February 23, 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 is 5:00 PM Eastern on Monday, February 23, 2026.

Contests

#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 23, 2026. With permission, winning submissions will be published in the KEA News and may be published on KEA social media platforms