CTA presents the African American Human Rights Award in Honor of Lois Tinson to an individual CTA member whose activities have helped to achieve significant progress on behalf of equal opportunity for African Americans. Lois Tinson was CTA’s first African American president. She was a gifted educator who was committed to public education and helping all children succeed.

To be eligible for this award, the nominee must have demonstrated leadership and commitment in several of the following areas related to African Americans:

• History
• Working to preserve African American culture, traditions, and values
• Training and leadership programs
• Educational materials and curriculum
• Economic and occupational status
• Greater voice in Association policy and decision-making
• Serving as a role model inspiring and promoting leadership potential
• Educational equality

CTA presents the American Indian/Alaska Native Human Rights Awards in Honor of Jim Clark to an individual CTA member whose activities have helped to achieve significant progress on behalf of equal opportunity for American Indians and Alaska Natives.

To be eligible for this award, the nominee must have demonstrated leadership and commitment in several of the following areas related to American Indians and Alaska Natives:

• Equal educational opportunity
• Educational materials and curriculum
• Promoting Federal and State legislation to increase funding for American Indian/Alaska Native programs and issues
• History
• Preserving cultural heritage, traditions and values
• Eliminating stereotypes of American Indian/Alaska Natives
• Training and leadership programs
• Greater voice in Association policy and decision making
• Public awareness of rights, issues, and concerns
• Creating positive role models

CTA presents the César E. Chávez and Dolores Huerta “Sí Se Puede” Human Rights Award to an individual CTA member whose activities have helped to achieve significant progress on behalf of equal opportunity for Hispanics/Latines/Chicanes. The CTA César E. Chávez and Dolores Huerta “Sí Se Puede” Human Rights Award honors César E. Chávez (1927-1993) and Dolores Huerta (1930- present), justifiably revered in the labor and civil rights movements for their nonviolent activism which inspired thousands of farmworkers to unionize for dignity and later expanded the movement to achieve advancement for all.

To be eligible for this award, the nominee must have demonstrated leadership and commitment in several of the following areas related to the Hispanic, Latina/o/x, Chicana/o/x community:

• Immigrant issues
• Bilingual programs and funding
• Curriculum and materials
• Cultural heritage
• Training and leadership programs
• Greater voice in Association policy and decision-making
• Exemplifying the nonviolent philosophy of César E. Chávez and Dolores Huerta
• Promoting educational equality for students
• History
• Combining labor relations techniques and grass roots organizing to achieve improvement in working conditions and/or education of Hispanic, Latina/o/x, Chicana/o/x students
• Developing programs that enhance the education of Hispanic, Latina/o/x, Chicana/o/x students
• Promoting, designing, and coordinating training programs for counselors and teachers of Hispanic, Latina/o/x, Chicana/o/x students

CTA presents the Asian & Pacific Islander Human Rights Award to an individual CTA member whose activities have helped to achieve significant progress on behalf of equal opportunity for Pacific Asian Americans.

To be eligible for this award, the nominee must have demonstrated leadership and commitment in several of the following areas related to Asian & Pacific Islander:

• Bilingual programs
• Immigrant issues
• Political lobbying
• Involvement in anti-gang activities
• Political activism
• History
• Educational equity
• Training and leadership programs

CTA presents the Human Rights Award for LGBTQ+ Advocacy in Honor of Nancy Bailey to an individual CTA member whose activities have helped to achieve significant equity and equality for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer+ community. Nancy Bailey, former instructor of physical education, at CSU, Bakersfield, was the founder of the Gay and Lesbian Caucus of the California Teachers Association. Her courage and tenacity inspired the growth of the movement within the profession.

To be eligible for this award, the nominee must have demonstrated leadership and commitment in several of the following areas related to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer+ community:

• Adolescent services
• Eliminating stereotyping and name calling
• Expanding the definition of diversity both within and outside of the community
• Regular articulation through written or verbal expression of the needs of lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer+ people
• HIV/AIDS health
• Political activism and advocacy of legislation
• Eliminating discrimination, harassment, bias, and hate-motivated violence directed toward lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer+ people
• Training of adults and counseling for students

CTA presents the Human Rights Award for Women’s Advocacy to an individual CTA member whose activities have helped to achieve significant progress in women’s rights.

To be eligible for this award, the nominee must have demonstrated leadership and commitment in several of the following areas related to women’s rights:

• Gender bias
• Greater voice in Association policy and decision-making
• Women’s history
• Health issues
• Leadership training
• Educational programs

CTA presents the CTA Peace and Justice Human Rights Award to an individual CTA member who has promoted peace and justice within their school and community in several of the following areas:

• Design and/or implement curriculum about issues of peace, justice and international understanding
• Inspire youth to study and become involved in activities that promote peace and justice
• Promote international understanding, peace and cooperation among the nations of the world
• Actively participate in community activities about the issues of peace, justice and international understanding
• Provide leadership within local, state and/or national levels in programs that create awareness and educate members about the issues of peace, justice and international understanding

CTA presents the CTA Member Human Rights Award to an individual who has promoted human and civil rights within their communities in several of the following areas:

• Designing and actively participating in community activities
• Recruiting members of historically marginalized communities into leadership within their local
• Promoting the education profession among future educators (CTA Aspiring Educators)
• Encourage youth and adults to enter careers in public education
• Working to eradicate discrimination within their school site
• Be active within the local association promoting CTA’s Human Rights programs
• Working to build meaningful family, school, and community partnerships

CTA presents the Students with Exceptional Needs Human Rights Award to an individual CTA member whose activities have helped to achieve significant progress on behalf of equal opportunity for students with exceptional needs*.

To be eligible for this award, the nominee must have demonstrated leadership and commitment in several of the following areas related to students with exceptional needs:

• Eliminating discrimination against individuals with disabilities.
• Development of educational materials and curriculum for students with exceptional needs.
• Working with causes related to students with exceptional needs.
• Serving as a role model to inspire and promote the causes of students with exceptional needs.
• Promoting more equitable and inclusive educational opportunities for students with exceptional needs.

*Students with exceptional needs may be referred to by their local education agency as students receiving special education services.

*Nominations must be made in the name of the Chapter and/or Service Center Council only.

Awards are presented to CTA Chapter or Service Center Council nominees that meet several of the following criteria either through work, contributions, or programs within the Association or on its behalf.

• Helping protect and advance the human and civil rights of educators and students
• Designing and implementing project(s) to inform the membership about the meaning of human and civil rights and how they can be protected or are abridged
• Designed and initiated plans to identify and encourage the use of effective teaching materials reflecting the value of diversity
• Advanced human rights training and programs
• Worked to eradicate discrimination within the profession
• Contributed to systematic changes that are racially and socially just
• Worked to improve inter-group relations
• Worked to reduce violence and promote peace
• Worked to eliminate hate motivated incidents and/or harassment
• Helped to advance historically accurate and inclusive curriculum
• Established or improved an effective Human Rights Program
• Worked to educate others about extremists who threaten the human and civil rights of others
• Worked to expand opportunities for students with exceptional needs ( Students with exceptional needs may be referred to by their local education agency as students receiving special education services)
• Worked to eradicate ableism within the educational system
• Worked to build meaningful family, school, and community partnerships