Scholarships and Awards | American Council on Rural Special Education

ACRES offers national awards to individuals or schools and agencies demonstrating outstanding accomplishments in rural special education.

Do you know a program or individual deserving of these awards or scholarships?

Nominations are open from October 1 - January 30 annually.
Self-nominations are welcome. See award details below.

Application and Review Process

The ACRES Awards and Scholarships Committee will review all applications, select recipients of awards, and notify ACRES Headquarters of the outcome.

Award recipients will be notified prior to the annual conference and invited to attend the award presentation that will be made at one of the general sessions. Recipients do not need to be present to receive the awards but are encouraged to come to meet and network with other rural special educators. They also may be invited to present a session at the next annual conference.

ALL forms must be submitted by January 30. For more information contact Channon Horn, channon.horn@uky.edu

Overview of Awards

The Kim and Kasey Floyd Rural Social Justice Award

The Kim and Kasey Floyd Rural Social Justice Award recognizes individuals or organizations working to support the needs of individuals with disabilities in rural communities who are further disenfranchised or disempowered due to membership in historically marginalized groups (e.g., those identifying as LGBTQ+, BIPOC, survivors of trauma or violence). In addition to a $500 award, the recipient is provided with a one-year membership to ACRES and receives free registration to the ACRES National Conference to present their research the year after receiving the award.

Teacher Scholarships

Teacher Scholarships provide up to $1,000 annually to give practicing or aspiring rural teachers opportunities to pursue education and training that would not otherwise be affordable within their districts.

The Exemplary Rural Special Education Program Awards

The Exemplary Rural Special Education Program Awards offer a plaque to programs that demonstrate significant impact on rural special education in any of eight categories that include teacher training, infant to adult services, interagency collaboration, technology, and research.

The John W. Schuster Research Proposal of the Year Award

The John W. Schuster Research Proposal of the Year Award goes to a graduate student conducting thesis or dissertation research relevant to our mission. The recipient is provided with a one-year membership to ACRES and receives free registration to the ACRES National Conference to present their research the year after receiving the award.