Business Education Division Awards

Across the country, there are outstanding students and professionals involved in Business Education who exemplify excellence in career and technical education. Recognizing these individuals begins with a nomination from someone who has seen their achievements firsthand.

Outstanding Business Education STUDENT Awards

View Past Award Winners

The ACTE Business Education Division will recognize secondary and postsecondary students who exceed a minimal rating for these awards. One award will be given for each Region of ACTE for the secondary level and one for the postsecondary level. Please feel free share the application with other professionals. Thank you for your support of student organizations.

Criteria

This award is designed to provide recognition to five secondary and five postsecondary outstanding students who have demonstrated leadership potential through enrollment in business courses and involvement in career and technical student organization activities, as well as the school and community.

Eligibility

Secondary or postsecondary students must be nominated by a member of the Business Education Division of the Association for Career and Technical Education. The nominee must be a local, state and national student member of Business Professionals of America, Future Business Leaders of America or DECA at the time of the nomination. The students must be enrolled in school through December of the school year of nomination and must not possess a baccalaureate degree prior to that December. One secondary and one postsecondary student per ACTE Region will be recognized.

Regulations

Members of the awards committee of the ACTE Business Education Division will screen the materials of the nominees.

Submission Requirements

1. The following materials must be uploaded through the Awards Portal no later than October 15:

• • A completed Student Nomination Form, which includes Student Information and Nominator Information.
  • A one-page letter of application for the award from the nominee.
  • A brief (not to exceed two pages) resume of the nominee.
  • A one-page essay written by the nominee outlining his/her success and future career plans, and how involvement in business courses and a career and technical student organization has enhanced the student’s leadership and professional development.
  • One letter of recommendation (not to exceed one page) from the nominee’s business education teacher or career and technical student organization local or state adviser.

2. A head-shot photograph to be included in the program and possibly our website.

3. Judges must deduct 1 to 10 points from the scores of nominees who submit materials by the stated deadline but do not adhere to the award guidelines for the submission of proper materials.

4. Nominees failing to submit the proper materials by the stated deadline will not be accepted.

5. The letter of application, resume, and essay must be prepared by the student member—not teachers or advisers. Teachers or advisers should serve as consultants to ensure that these materials are well organized, contain substantiated statements and are written in a business style.

6. Notification to the recipients of the award will be made by November 10.

7. The recipients of the award will be recognized at the Business Education Division Opening Session at CareerTech VISION. The recipients will be responsible for all travel expenses if they attend CareerTech VISION. Attendance at VISION by the recipients is not mandatory to receive recognition.

Procedure

Criteria for selection of the nominee should include:

• business course(s) or program(s) in which the student is currently enrolled or has completed
• years of participation in career and technical student organization activities
• extent of participation in conferences sponsored by the local, state, and national associations of the career and technical student organization
• officer and committee chair positions held in the career and technical student organization
• participation in school and community activities
• awards and honors received
• career plans

The materials submitted should address the above criteria.

Judging

There will be a panel of judges from the ACTE Business Education Division, Awards Committee. Judges will use the rating sheet attached to these guidelines to evaluate the materials submitted by the nominee. Students must achieve an average rating from the judges of at least 70 points to receive the award. All judges’ decisions are final.