One of the highlights in Illinois is the opportunity to honor our colleagues for their contributions to school counseling in our state. Hopefully you are thinking of those colleagues you work with daily who go above and beyond in their role to help students and promote our profession. Please consider nominating these people for one of our awards. Help us to let them know that their efforts are seen, acknowledged, and appreciated. Fill out the nomination form (or a few) and upload supplementary documentation.

The deadline to complete the nomination is February 18, 2022.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the ISCA office.

There are 9 Different ISCA Awards that nominations are being accepted for:
* Elementary School- School Counselor of Year
* Middle/Junior High – School Counselor of Year
* High School- Ray Piagentini High School Counselor of Year
* School Administrator of the Year
* Dr. Toni Tollerud School Counselor Educator of the Year
* School Counselor Internship Supervisor of the Year
* School Counselor Graduate Student Award(s)
* ISCA School Counselor Advocate of the Year
* School Counselor Legislator of the Year

ISCA Award Nomination Form

Click here to see ISCA Past Award Winners

Award Information
School Counselor of the year Nomination

(Elementary, Middle, Junior High or High School Level)

Eligibility for consideration:

  1. The counselor nominee must be currently employed as a full-time counselor and have completed three consecutive years of counseling service at the level of nomination.
  2. The counselor nominee and the nominator must be current members of the Illinois School Counselor Association. Letters of support do not need to be from Illinois School Counselor Association members.
  3. The nominee must hold a master's degree or equivalent in school counseling, counseling, or a related degree and be certified as a counselor by the state.

Criteria for recognition:

  1. The nominee should possess the personal qualities thought to be desirable in an exceptional counselor.
  2. The nominee must have been responsible for innovations in the counseling program, for providing leadership in the further development of existing services, for    demonstrating leadership in professional counseling associations, and for performing an outstanding service to the school or community.
  3. The activities or accomplishments recognized must have taken place within five years prior to the date of presentation.    

School Administrator of the Year Nomination

Eligibility for consideration:

  1. The nominee must be currently employed as a full-time administrator and have completed two consecutive years of service as an administrator.

Criteria for recognition:

  1. The nominee should possess the personal qualities thought to be desirable in an outstanding administrator.
  2. The nominee must have been responsible for supporting professional school counselors and counseling programs, advocating for the developmental model, and providing leadership in the further development of an exceptional school counseling program.
  3. The activities or accomplishments recognized must have taken place within five years prior to the date of presentation.

Dr. Toni Tollerud School Counselor Educator of the Year Nomination 

Eligibility for consideration:

  1. The counselor educator nominee must currently be employed full time or part time at a public or private school at an accrediting institution in Illinois with a program in School Counseling. The counselor educator should have a minimum of five years of experience as a counselor educator and should be ISBE Professional Educator Licensed.

  2. The counselor educator nominee and the nominator must be current members of the Illinois School Counselor Association or the Illinois Counselor Educator’s Association and a member of the Illinois Counseling Association.  

  3. The counselor educator nominee must hold at least a master’s degree in Counseling or a doctoral degree. The nominee must have experience teaching classes that directly impact students in a master’s program who are preparing to become school counselors. The nominee must have at least two years experience.                      

Criteria for recognition:

  1. The nominee should possess the personal qualities thought to be desirable in a school counselor educator.
  2. The nominee must have been responsible for teaching their counseling programs and working closely with students desiring to become school counselors. The nominee must provide innovation in furthering the profession of school counseling, demonstrate leadership and participation in school counseling associations in the state, support and advocate for school counseling using the ISCA standards and national model of ASCA (American School Counselor Association), and bridge the gap between classroom learning and the developmental model in existing school counseling programs.
  3. The activities or accomplishments recognized must have taken place within five years prior to the date of presentation.

School Counselor Internship Supervisor of the Year Nomination

Eligibility for consideration:

  1.  The internship supervisor nominee must currently be employed full time or part time at a public or private school at an accrediting institution in Illinois. The internship supervisor should have a minimum of three years of experience as an internship supervisor and should be ISBE Professional Educator Licensed.
  2. The internship supervisor nominee must be a current member of the Illinois School Counselor Association or the Illinois Counselor Supervisor’s Association and a member of the Illinois Counseling Association.
  3. The internship supervisor nominee must hold at least a master’s degree in Counseling or a doctoral degree. The nominee must have experience teaching classes that directly impact students in a master’s program who are preparing to become school counselors. The nominee must have at least two years experience. A student who was an intern under the internship supervisor can be a co-nominee but should work through a degreed counselor or counselor educator to make the nomination. .

Criteria for recognition:

  1.  The nominee should possess the personal qualities thought to be desirable of a supervisor of school counselor interns.
  2.  The school counselor internship supervisor should be responsible for directly supervising at least one Masters-in-training during the internship experience. Nominee should be innovative in promoting the profession of school counseling, mentor, teach, and support the intern, support and advocate for school counseling using the state standards and the national model of ASCA, and demonstrate leadership and participation in professional school counseling associations.
  3. The activities or accomplishments recognized must have taken place within five years prior to the date of presentation. The nominee cannot be a current internship supervisor.

School Counselor Graduate Student Award Nomination

Eligibility for consideration:

  1. The nominee must currently be a graduate student who is a full time or part time student at a public or private school at an accrediting institution in Illinois. The graduate student should have completed at least one year or a minimum of 18 graduate credits in their program.  The nominee may not have graduated prior to the nomination of this award.
  2. The graduate student nominee must be a current member of the Illinois School Counselor Association and a member of the Illinois Counseling Association.
  3. A graduate student may be nominated by a degreed school counselor, counselor educator, or fellow graduate student.  The nominator must be a member of the Illinois School Counselor Association at the time of the nomination.

Criteria for recognition:

  1. The nominee should possess the personal qualities thought to be desirable of an emerging leader in the field of school counseling.
  2. Graduate students are the future of the School Counseling Profession. Many are very active in their schools, communities, and professional organizations that provide leadership and service to the profession. Graduate students who serve as graduate assistants, volunteer at conferences and workshops, assist in their programs, or who perform exemplary work are eligible to be nominated for this award.
  3. The nominee for this award shall have demonstrated outstanding service or contribution to the School Counseling Profession in Illinois.

Award:  The Illinois School Counselor Association shall award two School Counselor Graduate Student Awards each year. Each recipient will receive a $100 monetary award long with a certificate for their outstanding service and contribution to the field as a graduate student.

School Counselor Advocate of The Year Nomination

NOTE:  The School Counselor Advocate of the Year Award is one of the highest honors of the organization. Members who have received other awards for outstanding service over time should be considered for this award. It can be given to a professional school counselor, counselor educator, or to a “friend” of school counselors who has been an outstanding advocate for the school counseling profession across the state. All nominees must have made an outstanding contribution to the profession at the national, state or local level. Advocacy includes promoting the developmental model at the highest level possible, influencing state policy that has promoted the profession, and improving academic, career, and environmental conditions that promoting social justice for all. 

Eligibility for consideration:

  1. The nominee must be currently employed in an educational or professional setting that involves the work of professional school counselors for a minimum of three consecutive years. Nominees do not have to be members of the Illinois School Counselor Association.
  2. Nominees can be Professional School Counselors, Counselor Educators, or other professionals who have been outstanding advocates for School Counselor in Illinois in ways that have supported school counseling policy and promoted the profession.
  3. While the nominee does not need to be a member of the Illinois School Counselor Association, the nominator does need to be a current member.

Criteria for recognition:

  1. The nominee should possess the personal qualities thought to be desirable in an outstanding leader and advocate for the profession.
  2. The nominee must have demonstrated successful outcomes that have led to changing existing policies, professional practices, and/or learning environments for professional school counselors in Illinois. Their work must demonstrate outstanding service to the profession with a strong emphasis on social justice and advocacy for all stakeholders including professional counselors, students, teachers, administrators, and parents
  3. The activities or accomplishments recognized must have taken place within the last five years.    


School Counselor Legislator of the year nomination

Eligibility for consideration:

  1. Nominees must be members of the State or National Legislature
  2. Nominees do not need to be members of the Illinois School Counselor Association..
  3. While the nominee does not need to be a member of the Illinois School Counselor Association, the nominator does need to be a current member.

Criteria for recognition:

  1. The nominee should possess the personal qualities thought to be desirable of an outstanding legislator.
  2. The nominee must have demonstrated involvement in legislation that has positively impacted the role of Professional School Counselors in the State of Illinois or at a national level.
  3. The activities or accomplishments recognized must have taken place within the last five years.
Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software