Nominate a Student for the 2017 Overcoming the Odds Award

Nominate a Student for the 2017 Overcoming the Odds Award Nomination Deadline: January 27, 2017

Student Advocacy invites you to nominate a student from your district for the 2017 Overcoming the Odds Awards. This is a unique opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of deserving students who may not meet the standards of more traditional awards. This is a local award; only students who live in Westchester County are eligible. The awards include scholarships for the winners and finalists. Please share this announcement with your district staff. The nomination form is relatively brief. Nominations are due by January 27, 2017.

We will recognize four Westchester students who make an effort to continue their education despite significant challenges. For example, we have honored students who have continued in school despite domestic violence, involvement in the foster care system, substance abuse problems, or obstacles related to a disability.

In February, a committee of community representatives determines the winners. While the nomination forms are confidential, all winners must be willing to appear in public. Each winner can review, revise and sign off on the information that will be publicly released.

The awards will be presented on May 11, 2017 at our 22nd OTO celebration and annual dinner at Willow Ridge Country Club in Harrison. The honoree, two guests of their choice, and a representative from the school district attend the dinner as our guests. The four winners are the stars of the program; each one is personally introduced with a description of his or her accomplishments and information about the district’s support. Finalists are honored at a later reception. Scholarships are given to both groups; the amount of the scholarship depends on the success of our fundraising. All nominees, who give their permission, are recognized in publicity about the awards and sent a personal certificate of recognition for their efforts to overcome the odds.

Past winners tell us that this was one of the most wonderful and meaningful events in their lives. I hope that you will take this opportunity to nominate those students who are overcoming the odds to school success in your district. This is also a wonderful opportunity to highlight your school district.

The nomination form and instructions are enclosed. You can also download a copy of the form from our website at www.studentadvocacy.net. Should you need any further information, you can contact me at 914 347-7039, ext. 101.

Sincerely,

Lisa Syron Executive Director

Student Advocacy, 3 West Main Street, Suite 212, Elmsford, NY 10523 914.347.7039 Nomination – Cover Page Overcoming the Odds Award (OTO) Due Date: January 27, 2017

The OTO Awards were created by Student Advocacy in 1995 to honor students who have made school a priority despite significant obstacles.

Please complete the attached form and submit per instructions on page 3. Submissions must be TYPED. Do not send supporting materials, as they are not given to the Selection Committee. Instead, incorporate comments from letters of support into your answers.

Student Name ______Age _____ Grade _____

Home Address______

Home Phone______Email______

District and School______

Name(s) of ___ Parent or ___Guardian ______

__ Same address or other address ______

Parent/Guardian: Phone______Email______

Nominated by (name/position) ______

School Phone ______Email______

School Address______

How do you know this student, and for how long? ______

______Note: When answering the questions on the following page, please use the student’s first name only. Do not use your school or district name. Nomination Form

Student Advocacy, 3 West Main Street, Suite 212, Elmsford, NY 10523 914.347.7039 Overcoming the Odds Award (OTO)

Provide your answers to the questions below in no more than 3 pages. Please note that, in the past, at least half of all nominations were screened out because there was not enough information about the student, or the information provided was too vague or weak. Therefore, included with the questions below are tips for writing a successful nomination. Good luck!

1. Information about the Student’s Obstacle: Check off the primary area in which the student is facing a challenge:

__ Physical/Medical Challenge __ Family/Social Challenges __ Disability Challenges ● Even if the student has issues in more than one area, select only ONE category here. This should be the category that presents the biggest challenge and is the primary issue discussed in your nomination.

2. Describe the student’s obstacle: Describe the obstacle(s) the student faces, so that the reader can appreciate its challenges. You can describe additional difficulties facing the student beyond the category that you selected above. ● Write for a lay audience. Explain technical terms (i.e. this student has a medical condition called ______which affects this child in these ways______). ● Be specific about the obstacles that this student has overcome. It is helpful for the Selection Committee to understand the challenges that occur in a typical day.

3. Impact on Learning: How have these obstacles made it difficult for this student to attend and succeed in school? ● Don’t assume that the committee members can imagine the impact of a disability. For example, rather than simply stating the student is deaf, explain that a deaf child may be trying to read the teacher’s lips, follow classroom discussion, and take notes. In isolation, each task is challenging for a deaf child; in combination, these tasks can be overwhelming.

4. Student’s Efforts to Overcome the Odds: Describe the student’s effort to address these obstacles, as well as any related achievements. ● Detail additional help sought and utilized, such as meeting with teachers or counselors. If the student has taken the initiative to complete extra work in order to keep pace at school, please describe. ● Describe efforts by this student to reach out to others. Has this student become a role model?

5. Why does this student deserve the Overcoming the Odds Award? ● What compelled you to nominate this student?

Student Advocacy, 3 West Main Street, Suite 212, Elmsford, NY 10523 914.347.7039 Submission Information

Thank you for taking the time to complete this nomination. If you have questions about the form, or about the OTO Awards, please contact Lisa Syron at [email protected] or at (914) 347-7039 ext. 101. You can also review the attached Frequently Asked Questions sheet. Due Date: January 27, 2017

To Submit If possible, please submit by email.

By email: [email protected] Subject line: OTO Nomination.

By fax: (914) 347-6382

By mail: Student Advocacy 3 West Main Street, Suite 212, Elmsford, NY 10523

If you do not receive confirmation that we have received your nomination, please call Lois Solomon-Neal at 347-7039 ext. 100.

To learn more about Student Advocacy, go to www.studentadvocacy.net.

Student Advocacy, 3 West Main Street, Suite 212, Elmsford, NY 10523 914.347.7039 Frequently Asked Questions: ➢ Can I nominate a student again? Students who were nominated in prior years and did not receive an OTO Award or a Special Recognition Award can be nominated again. ➢ Can I nominate students in any grade? There is no age or grade limit; any student can be nominated. However, the Selection Committee may be considering a nominee who is a senior and has only this year to receive the award, versus a younger student who could be nominated again next year. Therefore, for younger students, it is important to explain why the student deserves the award this year. ➢ Is the nomination confidential? All nominations are confidential. The Selection Committee receives only the nomination form, not the Cover page. All identifying information is redacted before the nomination is given to the Selection Committee. The information is used ONLY for selection of the award winners. If a student is offered the award, the student and his/her family have the opportunity to review the nomination and eliminate information which they wish to keep private. They must be willing to share enough information so that the public understands why the student deserves an Overcoming the Odds Award. ➢ Should I ask the student’s permission before nominating him/her? You should follow your district’s protocols for nominating students. ➢ Who notifies the students? We will notify the nominator first and ask you to pass along our notification letter to the student. ➢ Who makes the decision? A Selection Committee comprised primarily of community volunteers selects three OTO winners. One OTO winner is selected by our staff. These four students receive their awards at Student Advocacy’s OTO Awards dinner in May. Eleven additional students are selected to receive Special Recognition Awards which are presented at a reception. All other students nominated receive certificates of Honorable Mention. ➢ Who attends the OTO Awards dinner? Students who are offered and accept the award must attend the awards dinner. The student winner, two guests and one nominator are invited to attend the dinner as guests of Student Advocacy. Any additional guests who wish to attend are welcome to purchase tickets. ➢ What do the OTO award winners receive?

Student Advocacy, 3 West Main Street, Suite 212, Elmsford, NY 10523 914.347.7039 The experience of being recognized as successful in front of a large audience is typically the most meaningful part of the awards for the winners. In addition, they receive a trophy, a gift bag and possibly a small college scholarship, depending on funds donated for the scholarship.

Student Advocacy, 3 West Main Street, Suite 212, Elmsford, NY 10523 914.347.7039