Community Enrollment Decisions

Questions to Consider



Here is the complete list of decisions to be made by your community as you enroll in this program.

Before your enrollment is finalized, please think about the following aspects of your local award program. We can discuss these questions during initial and follow-up conversations as part of the enrollment process.
 

Ten Topics to Consider:

  1. Your goals for community engagement: we can help you tailor your awards program to meet these goals.
  2. Your budget and funding source ($500 minimum as a check to the award winner, to match $500 check from HGF; additional funding for ceremony if desired; awardee will also be eligible for additional $500 from HGF toward professional development). Please let us know if you will be awarding more than the $500 matched by HGF, and whether your funding comes from a local donor or a budget allocation.
  3. If you have an existing awards program, please tell us about it and how the Grinspoon award will fit in your current program. We would love to be a part of your process! If you do not already have a process in place, we will be happy to help you create one and/or build an online nomination system for you.
  4. Choose a name for your local award that reflects your participation in this program; the name may honor a local donor or educational guru, or reflect your local community's name. The name may not be "Grinspoon Award for Excellence in Jewish Education" unless you add your community name as well (Ex. "Grinspoon Award for Excellence in Jewish Education in Western Massachusetts").
  5. Who will select your award winner? Do you have a current committee that would be appropriate, or should you create a new committee? While no specific committee size is required, the award winner should not be chosen by just one person.
  6. Who will be eligible for your award? How do you define "Jewish educator" and will your award be specific to a certain category of Jewish education (day schools, complementary schools, early childhood) or open to all?
  7. Who should nominate the potential award winners? Will nominations be submitted by each local school, by heads of school only, or by all community members?
  8. How will you evaluate the nominations? (See our provided sample rubric for suggestions.) Your committee might meet in person to read the nominations, or review them by email beforehand and come to the meeting prepared to discuss and make a decision.
  9. What is your timeline for the awards process? When will you first announce this program to the community? When will you ask for nominations? When will you select a winner? When and how will you present the award (this might be a banquet/reception for all local Jewish educators, an annual meeting, etc.)?
  10. How else will you honor your local award winner? Will you ask them to speak at a local event? Will you publish an ad or press release in your local news? (We hope you will also share your local publicity with us so that we can publicize it as well, particularly on social media. HGF can provide a customized press release template.)
  11. How will you publicize your local awards program? Do you have marketing staff you'd like to be in touch with us? (HGF has program materials ready to customize for you; please let us know what type of marketing materials would be helpful by emailing teacherawards@hgf.org.