2024-2025 IHSA Awards & Scholarship Winners below
The 48th Annual Awards & Scholarships Nominations are now OPEN!
IHSA is excited to recognize and thank the exceptional individuals
who strengthen the Illinois Head Start & Early Head Start community.
Awardees will be honored at the Annual Awards Luncheon on March 19, 2026!
AWARD & SCHOLARSHIP CATEGORIES
This award acknowledges the important contributions of forward-thinking administrators to the long-term success of Head Start/Early Head Start programs and, ultimately, the children and families they serve.
The successful candidate is a current employee of a Head Start/Early Head Start program in Illinois serving in a role that oversees the leadership of an organization at the Executive, Director or Assistant Director levels for 5+ years.
The selected Administrator of the Year will receive:
This award recognizes the individual involved in Education components of a Head Start/Early Head Start program, including classroom Lead Teachers, Teacher Assistant, Education Manager, Education Specialist, Home Visiting staff, and Instructional Mentors and Coaches.
The successful candidate is a current employee of a Head Start/Early Head Start program in Illinois for 5+ years.
The selected Teacher of the Year will receive:
This award acknowledges the important contributions of Head Start/Early Head Start staff who work in Administration (Administrative Assistant, HR, Accountant), Management (Center/Site Manager, Operations), Family Services/ERSEA, Facilities, Food Service, Transportation, Health, Disabilities, Mental Health, and Social Services, and more.
The successful candidate is a current employee of a Head Start/Early Head Start program in Illinois for 5+ years.
The selected Support Staff of the Year will receive:
This award honors a Head Start/Early Head Start parent who demonstrates exceptional leadership skills. The parent exemplifies a role model for his/her children and to other parents and makes effort to make a positive difference in the community.
The successful candidate must have a child(ren) enrolled in a Head Start/Early Head Start program for the current program year.
The selected Parent Staff of the Year will receive:
This scholarship supports the college education in the field of study in any area for:
Current or past Early Head Start/Head Start parent,
Current Early Head Start/Head Start staff member,
or former Early Head Start/Head Start child.
Recipient must have a High School diploma or GED, and plan to/are enrolled in an accredited institution of higher education.
The selected Leota Brown Memorial Scholarship winner will receive:
This scholarship supports working towards completion of a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education for:
Current Head Start staff member,
Current or past Head Start parent,
OR a Former Head Start child,
Recipient must have ongoing college experience at an accredited Institution of Higher Education.
The selected Mary Alice Buchanan Memorial Scholarship will receive:
DOWNLOAD Award Categories & Eligibility LIST
NOMINATION PROCESS
You are invited to nominate, or self-nominate,
the next Administrator, Teacher, Support Staff, and Parent of the Year, along with two scholarship recipients.
The application process has been streamlined to make nominating a simpler and fun process.
Recognize your colleague, or yourself!, for their hard work, efforts, passion and compassion for this last year!
Anyone can nominate anyone who qualifies!
Take a moment to uplift each other and show encouragement through this nomination.
Submit the following:
Download AWARD Application Form
Submit the following:
Download SCHOLARSHIP Application Form
Applications must be completed in its entirety.
Send in ONE email to Linda, lwang@ilheadstart.org by Friday, February 6.
All submitted applications will be reviewed by the Annual Awards Committee, comprised from the IHSA's Board of Directors. Applications are reviewed using a standardized rubric (available upon request). Winners are selected from the cumulative score garnered from the application.