The Alaska Arts Education Consortium (AAEC) Champions of Arts in Education Award formally recognizes and honors Alaskan individuals or organizations who “champion” the arts in education. These Champions carry the torch for arts education through high-caliber instruction, arts support, and ongoing arts promotion.
This award is celebratory, aimed at highlighting the positive impact of the arts on the lives of our children and youth. The efforts of these champions in teaching and supporting arts across the curriculum reflects the mission of AAEC, which is “to promote learning in and through the arts for all Alaska students.”
NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN for the 2025-2026 school year!
Categories
AAEC has designated four categories of Champions of Arts in Education, including:
- Arts Leader–An arts leader provides vision, direction, and inspiration to drive arts education in both school and community settings. An arts leader blends creative insight with leadership, partnership, and strong communication to foster access to the arts for children and youth.
- Arts Educator–An arts educator is a practicing artist, teaching artist, culture bearer, elder or educator who designs and delivers art-focused learning experiences. An arts educator helps students develop artistic skills, creativity, critical thinking, cultural connections, and career and life pathways.
- Arts Advocate–An arts advocate supports and promotes the value of the arts by speaking up to influence public policy, funding, curriculum, instructional choices or community engagement. An arts advocate speaks out to help ensure that students have access to the arts in their schools and communities.
- Arts Student–An arts student is an Alaskan middle or high school student who seeks out learning and mentorship from teachers, arts specialists, artists, or culture bearers. An arts student studies music, cultural arts, media arts, visual arts, literary arts, dance, or theater arts and inspires others with the spark of their creativity and emerging excellence.
Criteria
Each nomination application will be examined through the lens of the following criteria:
- the nominee’s positive impact on the lives of children and youth,
- the nominee’s personal dedication to creating meaning in their own practice in and/or through the arts or supporting and advancing the artistic growth of others through their own practice or leadership, as fits the category,
- the nominee’s personal dedication to promoting high quality learning in and through the arts for Alaska students of all backgrounds.
- The application describes at least one specific account of how and why the nominator believes his or her nominee should be recognized as a “Champion of the Arts in Education”
- Champions will be announced on March 31, 2026, at the annual “Alaska’s Heart Through Student Art” Exhibit, co-sponsored by Alaska Arts Education Consortium and Alaska Council of School Administrators.
- The Student Champion will have a spotlight showcase for art at the Exhibit. They will receive a $500 scholarship.
- The Arts Educator Champion will receive a choice of one complimentary registration at an AAEC Summer Institute of their choice in either 2026 or 2027 or a $500 gift card for classroom art supplies.
You may contact the Alaska Arts Education Consortium Executive Director, Sandy Fortier, at director@akartsed.org with any questions, or for technical assistance.