IAACE Awards Program
Celebrating Excellence in adult and continuing education across Indiana
Annual Recognition
9 Awards Presented Each Year
Legacy of Excellence
40 + Years Celebrating Adult Education
Community Impact
Hundreds of Educators, Learners & Partners Honored
Recognition Opportunities
Nominate Educators, Learners and Partners
Nominations Open
June 17, 2026
Nominations Close
August 14, 2026
Committee Review
August 15- 31, 2026
Award Program
Wednesday, September 30, 2026 6:00 pm
Choose an Award Category
Business Partner Award
This award honors a business, organization, or individual that has made a significant impact on adult education through exceptional collaboration and support.
Outstanding Essential Support Staff
This award recognizes a current IAACE member with at least two years of experience in a vital support role within adult education.
Outstanding New Adult Educator
This award honors a current IAACE member with one to four years of experience in adult education who consistently exceeds program expectations and demonstrates exceptional promise in the field.
Outstanding Adult Educator
This award recognizes a current IAACE member with a minimum of five years of experience who consistently exceeds state standards and program requirements in the field of adult education.
Outstanding Administrator/ Coordinator/ Director
This award honors a current IAACE member with at least two years of experience serving as an administrator, coordinator, or director in adult education.
Outstanding Tutor/ Volunteer
This award honors an individual with at least one year of volunteer service in adult education or literacy in the state of Indiana. IAACE membership is not required of nominee.
Outstanding Adult Learner of the Year
This award celebrates an adult learner who has demonstrated exceptional dedication to their education and personal growth. While IAACE membership is not required, the nominee should ideally have been enrolled in your program for at least one year.
Dr. John Nally Award of Excellence in Correction Education
To be considered for this prestigious award, nominees must meet several important criteria.
Dr. John R. Craddock Award
Lifetime Service to Adult Education in Indiana
To recognize and honor those who have committed a lifetime of service to adult education in Indiana. The award is named for Dr. John R. Craddock who was an early leader in Adult Education in Indiana. He served as the first editor of “The Adult Educator,” the official newsletter of the Indiana Association for Adult Education, was an officer for several years in the Adult Education Association of Indiana, and was instrumental in the merger of these two organizations into the Indiana Association of Adult and Continuing Education (IAACE). In 1962 Dr. Craddock took a year’s leave of absence from his position as Assistant Professor of Education at Ball State University to establish the Division of Adult Education in the Indiana Department of Public Instruction, later named the Indiana Department of Education. This award honors Dr. Craddock’s contributions to Adult Education in Indiana. This award is given by the IAACE Board of Directors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can submit a nomination?
Any IAACE member may submit a nomination
Do nominees need to be IAACE members?
Many IAACE awards are designed as a benefit of membership and recognize the outstanding contributions of current IAACE members. Awards such as Outstanding Adult Educator, Outstanding New Adult Educator, Outstanding Essential Support Staff, Outstanding Administrator/Coordinator/Director, and the Dr. John Nally Award of Excellence in Correctional Education require nominees to be current IAACE members.
However, IAACE also believes in celebrating excellence throughout the adult education community. For this reason, IAACE membership is not required for the Outstanding Adult Learner of the Year Award, the Outstanding Tutor/Volunteer Award or the Business and Industry Partnership Award. These awards provide an opportunity to recognize the learners, volunteers, and community champions who make a difference every day.
The IAACE Awards Program was established to honor exceptional individuals and organizations while highlighting one of the many benefits of IAACE membership. We encourage educators, administrators, support staff, volunteers, learners, and partners to participate in the nomination process and help us celebrate excellence in adult and continuing education across Indiana.
Can I nominate someone for multiple awards?
Most IAACE awards are designed to recognize a specific role within the adult and continuing education community, such as educator, administrator, support staff, volunteer, learner, or correctional educator. Because each award has unique eligibility requirements and criteria, nominees will typically fit best within a single award category.
If you are unsure which award is most appropriate for your nominee, review the award descriptions and eligibility requirements or contact IAACE for guidance before submitting your nomination.
What makes a strong nomination?
A strong nomination doesn’t have to be long—it simply tells the story of impact. The most effective nominations include specific examples of how the nominee has made a difference for students, colleagues, programs, or the adult education community.
Consider sharing:
- Accomplishments or innovations
- Leadership or service contributions
- Student success stories
- Program improvements or outcomes
- Examples that demonstrate why the nominee stands out
Don’t worry about writing the “perfect” nomination. Focus on sharing meaningful examples and explaining why you believe the individual, program, or organization deserves recognition.
Remember, some of the most deserving people never seek recognition for themselves. Your nomination helps us celebrate the individuals and organizations making magic happen in adult education across Indiana.
How are nominations reviewed?
The IAACE Awards Committee conducts a fair and objective review of all eligible nominations. To help ensure impartiality, committee members receive only the nominee’s narrative information and supporting descriptions. Information identifying the nominee’s program and the nominator is removed prior to review.
Committee members, made up of previous award winners, independently rank nominees based on the criteria established for each award category. Points are assigned according to those rankings, and the nominee receiving the highest total score is selected as the award recipient.
The review process is designed to recognize excellence while ensuring consistency, fairness, and integrity across all award categories.
When are winners announced?
After nominations close, the IAACE Awards Committee reviews all eligible submissions and selects recipients using the established scoring process for each award category. Nominators are notified prior to the annual IAACE Conference to determine if the win can be a surprise or if the winner will be told they won prior to the a Awards Ceremony at the conference. Specific nomination deadlines, review timelines, and award ceremony details are announced each year on the IAACE Awards webpage.