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 and ethnic minority 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 Chávez “Si 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. The CTA César Chávez “Si Se Puede” Human Rights Award honors César Chávez (1927-1993), justifiably revered in the labor and civil rights movements for his 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 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 Chávez
• Promoting educational equality for Hispanic students
• History
• Combining labor relations techniques and grass roots organizing to achieve improvement in working conditions and/or education of Hispanic students
• Developing programs that enhance the education of Hispanic students
• Promoting, designing, and coordinating training programs for counselors and teachers of Hispanic students

CTA presents the Pacific Asian American 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 Pacific Asian Americans:

• 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 and Transgender community. Nancy Bailey, instructor of physical education, CSU, Bakersfield, is 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 and Bisexual 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 gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender people
• HIV/AIDS health
• Political activism and advocacy of legislation
• Eliminating discrimination, harassment, and hate motivated violence directed toward gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender people
• Training for 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:

• Design and actively participate in community activities
• Recruit minority members into leadership within their local
• Promote the teaching profession among future teachers (Club Ed and Student CTA)
• Encourage middle and high school youth to enter the teaching profession
• Work to eradicate discrimination within their school site
• Be active within the local association promoting CTA’s Human Rights programs
• Work to build more effective 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 physically and/or mentally challenged students.  To be eligible for this award, the nominee must have demonstrated leadership and commitment in several of the following areas related to physically/mentally challenged students:

• Eliminating discrimination against individuals with disabilities
• Development of educational materials and curriculum for special education students
• Working with issues related to physically/mentally challenged students Serving as a role model to inspire and promote the issues of physically/mentally challenged students
• Promoting equal educational opportunities for disabled students

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.

• Helped protect and advance the human and civil rights of educators and students
• Designed and implemented 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 which identify and encourage the use of effective teaching materials reflecting the value of diversity
• Promoted human rights training and programs
• Worked to eradicate discrimination within the profession
• Promoted equal educational opportunity and access for all students
• Worked to improve inter-group relations
• Worked to reduce violence and promote peace
• Worked to eliminate hate motivated incidents and/or harassment
• Worked to gain a greater voice for all in Association policy and decision-making
• Helped to eliminate stereotyping in the curriculum, in the schools, or in the community
• 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 promote educational opportunity for physically and/or mentally challenged students
• Worked to build more effective family, school and community partnerships

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