Are You Proud of Your Equity Accomplishments?
Equity Innovator Recognition Program
As part of our vision of equitable, responsive education for all–the Midwest and Plains Equity Assistance Center (MAP Center) is committed to recognizing Center partners who have engaged in systems transformation toward educational equity, and as such, the MAP Center presents the Equity Innovator Recognition Program.
Who Can Apply?
Equity Innovator is a recognition program to showcase local and state education agencies that have engaged in a Tier III systemic equity partnership with the Region III Midwest and Plains Equity Assistance Center (MAP Center) or the previous Region V Great Lakes Equity Center and exemplify system-wide transformation towards educational equity. State education agencies (SEAs) or public local education agencies that currently have or have had in the past a signed MOU for Tier III services with the MAP Center or the Region V Great Lakes Equity Center are invited to apply for this recognition. Honored partners will have demonstrated meaningful increases in awareness and/or knowledge of equitable educational practice among staff and stakeholders, have changed policies or practices related to providing students with a full opportunity for participation in all educational programs, regardless of their sex, race, religion, and national origin, and have had overall increases in the capacity to ensure safe, inclusive, and quality education for all students, with specific emphasis on historically marginalized youth.
How We Honor Your Work
The Equity Innovator recipient will be honored at a recognition program during the MAP Center’s 2022 Equity Leaders Institute. The honoree will showcase their equity work during the Institute and will receive a plaque and an honorarium.
We invite current and former Tier III partners whose partnership with the Center contributed to systemic change towards educational equity to apply for the Equity Innovator recognition.
The 2021 recipient was Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) in Aurora, IL. Please check out their and other education agencies' partnership profiles on our TA Partners in Action webpage.
How Do I Apply?
To apply:
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Complete the application form
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Provide a letter from your Superintendent
Your agency’s Superintendent should write a letter describing how the equity efforts associated with the MAP Center/Great Lakes Equity Center have helped to transform the school/district or agency into a more inclusive and equity-centered learning community for historically marginalized youth, with specific emphasis on race, sex, national origin or religion. The Superintendent should enumerate the specific district or agency resources (e.g. personnel, time, structures, funds) dedicated to the partnership with Great Lakes Equity Center or MAP Center used to sustain equity efforts.
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Provide two letters of recommendation
Provide two letters of recommendation: one from agency personnel (i.e. administrator, faculty or staff member) and one from either a student, parent/caregiver, or community member describing how they have been engaged in, and affected by, the equity efforts.
All three letters should be compiled into one PDF and uploaded with your completed application.
Application Period Closed: June 15, 2022