Kim & Kasey Floyd Rural Social Justice Award

The Kim and Kasey Floyd Rural Social Justice Award

ACRES provides $500 award, 1-year membership to ACRES, and free registration to the ACRES National Conference to present their work the year after receiving the award. 

This ACRES award recognizes individuals or organizations who have a sustained commitment to and demonstrated evidence of achieving educational, community, or organizational change that supports individuals with special needs living in rural communities who are further disenfranchised or disempowered due to membership in historically marginalized groups (e.g., LGBTQ+, BIPOC, survivors of trauma or violence). The recipient should be dedicated to mitigating inequities and improving educational access and well-being for all through excellence in teaching and learning, discovery and scholarship, or service and leadership.

To be eligible for this award, nominees must

• Show they are an individual or organization working to address inequities in educational opportunities or access due to systemic social injustice related to membership in historically marginalized groups (e.g., LGBTQ+, BIPOC, survivors of trauma or violence).
• Demonstrate that the person/program has had a significant impact on rural special education including those who have been historically disenfranchised or disempowered.

Nominations must consist of

• A completed nomination form describing the person/program, explaining why exemplary, and providing documentation of this work
• Two (2) signed letters of recommendation from persons of influence in the community who are knowledgeable about the nominated person's/program’s impact.