Purpose: To honor a person who has managed major projects or programs with hope, works intentionally with heart and has made a major impact by ensuring that students have access to careers that lead to high-wage, high-skill, in-demand programs of study and careers. This person inspires others by believing in the power of innovation and embodying a hopeful tenacity about solving challenging problems.

Purpose: To recognize a leader in an organization who is a role model to the national community of excellence in technology and/or STEM. This person demonstrates: • the commitment to valuing educational equity in educational systems and workforce systems in their community; • the ability to strengthen and broaden business solutions, and the vision to expand knowledge about educational equity and its importance to the community; • the ability to build and sustain innovation and entrepreneurship; • the motivation to build meaningful partnerships with community groups and organizations who have a significant impact on educational equity in their communities.

Purpose: Education team that was successful in promoting educational equity and access in career and technical education (CTE) or STEM.

Eligibility: Any person who works in government, education/academia, business, or a nonprofit who has demonstrated inspiring practices and hope. Preference will be given to nominees active in a NAPE member organization.

Eligibility: A person who works in a business, commercial organization, or nonprofit organization focused on technology and/or STEM. They do not need to be affiliated with a NAPE member organization.

Eligibility: Any team of educators and/or their partners that serve CTE or STEM students. The team does not need to be affiliated with NAPE as a member organization.

Heart and Hope Educational Equity & Access criteria: • An educational equity advocate who promotes student access in their organization, business, or industry; • Mentors others from historically underrepresented groups within their organization; and • Develops future leaders in their profession and/or community.

Leadership Educational Equity & Access criteria: • Promotes educational equity and student access in their organization, business, or industry; and • Collaborates, mentors, and advocates to inspire and develop future leaders from underrepresented groups.

Teamwork Educational Equity & Access criteria: • Develops and strengthens relationships within the profession and/or community by joining efforts to further common goals focused on broadening educational equity and student access; • Works effectively as part of a team to successfully accomplish a task or goal in support of its vision and mission of broadening access and success for students/individuals from underrepresented groups; and • Builds effective collaborative relationships across the organization to define and solve problems or reach agreements on a course of action while considering multiple perspectives.

Heart and Hope Outcome Driven criteria: • Demonstrates success of academic or workforce achievement that has been largely unnoticed but has had a powerful impact in the daily lives of people; and • Utilizes data, where appropriate, to validate and promote efforts.

Leadership Outcome Driven criteria: • Demonstrates measurable outcomes showing increased participation of underrepresented groups in technology and/or STEM.

Teamwork Outcome Driven criteria: • Utilizes data, where appropriate, to inform, validate and promote efforts; and • Encourages effective group problem solving, critical thinking, planning, and decision making.

Heart and Hope Innovation & Agility criteria: • Is a trailblazer who has demonstrated an ability to create and implement a vision for their area of influence or community; • Has a record of successfully motivating employees, colleagues, and/or community members; • Mentors colleagues and/or team, and contributes to industry, government, or the larger Community.

Leadership Innovation & Agility criteria: • Is innovative, creative, and agile in moving their business or community forward to promote educational equity and student access in technology and/or STEM.

Teamwork Innovation & Agility criteria: • Demonstrates ability to create and implement a vision for the team; • Works toward implementing a solution in an innovative way; and • Displays initiative and persistence in working to overcome barriers by adapting activities or approaches, even in challenging situations.

Heart and Hope Ideal Candidate: Any person who has advanced the career and technical education (CTE), STEM or workforce achievement of others through their job or community activities thereby transforming their workplace, community, business, industry, or field beyond typical performance expectations.

Leadership Ideal Candidate: A person who provides leadership and exceptional results in advancing student access to business and/or community-related work that are focused on technology and/or STEM.

Teamwork Ideal Team: The ideal team has distinguished itself from peers by promoting access, educational equity in CTE or STEM and has demonstrated, through actions, that they embrace the NAPE belief that access to diverse perspectives improves outcomes.