Contests and Awards

2023 Annual Awards Winners

Each year, NJAGC presents awards as a way of thanking and honoring individuals who stand out among their peers in their commitment to gifted children and gifted education in New Jersey.

ADULT winners

Teacher of the Year

Chelsea Clarke

Chelsea Clarke is the Gifted and Talented Teacher at Lester C. Noecker School in Roseland, NJ. A graduate of Montclair State University (BA and M.Ed) who grew up in Wayne, NJ. She has been teaching for 9 years. She teaches gifted and talented students in grades 4-6, as well as whole class enrichment to grades K-6. She also runs Math Olympiads once a week during 5th/6th grade recess and lunch. Chelsea has a passion for gifted and talented education and students. In the summer of 2013, Chelsea first experienced working with G&T students at Montclair State University’s Gifted and Talented Summer Program and never looked back! She went on to teach at the summer program and then obtained her G&T teaching certificate through Montclair State’s online program.

Chelsea came to Noecker in the Fall of 2017 and has loved every second of it! The students, staff, and families are amazing and supportive of everything she does! During her years at Noecker, Chelsea has updated the G&T identification process, revised the Gifted and Talented curriculum, and provided professional development for teachers.

Chelsea is also the co-chair of the Essex County Steering Committee for Gifted and Talented Education. She has had the privilege of being the co-chair since December 2020. In that time, she has held meetings with G&T teachers all over Essex County, turned in person events into
virtual events, and then back to in person! She is excited to keep growing the committee and planning events and competitions!

Chelsea Clarke is a passionate G&T educator who advocates for her students, families, and teachers!

Christina Vreeland attended Douglass College of Rutgers University as well as the Rutgers Graduate School of Education Five-Year Teacher Certification program and began her career as an English Teacher at John F. Kennedy Memorial High School in Woodbridge Township. She continued her education with NJEXCEL, and, for the last 20 years, has been a Supervisor in Woodbridge Township. She is currently supervising Gifted & Talented, Advanced Placement, Music and Dance, and has been involved in gifted education for the past 10 years.

Throughout her career, Mrs. Vreeland has enjoyed collaborating on a classroom management book, achieving NJ Best Practice and Service-Learning Leader Awards, producing a district-wide Writers’ magazine, developing a Summer Enrichment program, and producing a district television show showcasing district initiatives and student achievements. Mrs. Vreeland strives to consistently bring innovation to the G&T program in Woodbridge. She is currently working on a professional development video about the G&T program. In addition to her professional work, Mrs. Vreeland enjoys reading, cooking, gardening, cycling, skiing, relaxing with her Wheaten terriers, and juggling sports practices and activities with her husband as they watch their three teenage sons grow into amazing young men with their own unique gifts and talents.

Administrator of the Year

Christina Vreeland

Parent of the Year

Allison Park

Allison Park, M.A.Ed., is a passionate advocate for gifted and twice exceptional children and their families who believes in nurturing the growth and development of the whole learner by empowering students, families, and educators with invaluable resources and community support.

Since 2015, Allison has put this philosophy into action by serving as the Gifted & Twice Exceptional Education Consultant for Parenthood Together, a 15,000-member national parenting network focused on community-building and guidance for families. In her role, she has cultivated resources for gifted families including local meet-ups, virtual and in-person learning pods, parent-training workshops, and community support groups. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, she also led the charge in assembling a task force to synthesize a homeschooling enrichment curriculum that focused on everything from developing metacognitive strategies to Physical Education to SEL.

In 2022, Allison published Z is for Superhero!, which highlights the story of a young boy who is twice exceptional, and invites us to join him on his journey to finding acceptance and friendship in places where he is free to be himself. During a recent panel discussion, Allison shared that she wrote this book about her son, Zach, so his story would be a beacon of hope for all 2e children to see that they can be the heroes in their own stories. Families recognized how essential this kind of representation is, and Z is for Superhero! quickly jumped to the #1 spot on the Amazon Best Sellers list.

Allison holds bachelors degrees in Childhood Education and Special Education and a Masters of Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education from New York University, where she graduated cum laude and was named a University Honors Scholar.

Distinguished Students

Alisha Desai is a curious learner and passionate leader who is a rising senior at Moorestown High School. In school, she demonstrates leadership through her role as the Interact Club’s Vice President. The Interact Club is a community service organization. Additionally, it is the largest student run organization at the high school. Further, Alisha also serves as her grade’s class liaison of Student Council, in which she is responsible for running social media and organizing school events. She is also her grade’s Blood Drive representative, making her responsible for helping her peers get signed up and organizing the four blood drives throughout the year. Alisha is also quite passionate about the subjects of economics and politics. As a result, she co founded her school’s own Economic and World Newsletter, in which she writes her own articles and edits and formats the articles written by her peers. This passion is also seen through her participation in the debate clubs at Moorestown High School. Alisha participates in Model Congress, Model UN, and Mock Trial. She has served as a witness and a lawyer for Mock Trial and has won awards in Model Congress. Because of her leadership skills, Alisha was chosen to be her school’s primary representative for the HOBy Youth Leadership Seminar this past summer. At the same time, she also served as a marketing intern for Yellowdig, a startup online learning platform. Alisha is also quite passionate about helping others and has volunteered in numerous community service activities. Most notably, Alisha volunteers for the Pink Foundation, an organization with various locations in India to fight against gendercide in India. Her volunteer experience also includes volunteering for Andy Kim’s Campaign, being an event coordinator for the Indian Cultural Center of South Jersey, and being a Youth Ambassador for Asian Indian Professionals. Alisha also plays for the Moorestown Girls Golf team. Given her interests and passions, Alisha sees herself pursuing a career in the fields of economics or law or a combination of the two.

Academics and Leadership (Grades 9-12)

Alisha Desai

Visual Arts (Grades 9-12)

Amber Kurland

Amber Kurland is a senior at Morris Hills High School. She has been pursuing an independent study in prop making and scenic art since her sophomore year. Since being part of the founding group of the Prop Shop, she has helped grow the program from three to around a dozen students. Their work has been featured in seven shows so far and they have made over a hundred props in the past three years. Amber also serves as the stage manager at her high school productions and hopes to continue participating in theater in college!

Blake is an 11 year old from Whiting, NJ. He enjoys learning about coding and engineering, playing baseball, hanging out with his friends, visiting Puerto Rico and traveling to different places around the world. He is always looking to make a new friend and is super charismatic. He is beyond his years and loves to study and learn as many new things as possible. When he was younger he wanted to become a brain surgeon and learned all the parts of the brain by 6 years old. Now he wants to learn how to build different types of technology and create artificial intelligence. He maintains amazing grades while participating in sports and having a ton of friends. He aspires to go to college and become an engineer and use those skills to create something revolutionary and become an entrepreneur.

Academics (Grades 3-5)

Blake Cortez

Each year, NJAGC presents awards as a way of thanking and honoring individuals who stand out among their peers in their commitment to gifted children and gifted education in New Jersey.

Begin the nomination process for the Annual Awards and the Distinguished Student Awards here:

Submissions are now closed.

You do not have to be an NJAGC member to make a nomination or to receive an award.
The deadline for submitting nominations is 11:59 PM on Sunday, January 30, 2022.
For further information, contact awards@njagc.org

NJAGC Annual Adult Awards

Each year, NJAGC presents awards as a way of thanking and honoring individuals who stand out among their peers in their commitment to gifted children and gifted education in New Jersey.

NJAGC Adult Awards categories include:

Hall of Fame
Administrator of the Year
Teacher of the Year
Parent of the Year
Developing Minds Award
(for entrepreneurs who developed businesses with a focus on gifted children.)

NJAGC Distinguished Student Awards

The Distinguished Student Awards were developed to recognize students with exceptional ability and achievements in:

Academics
Leadership
Visual, Literary, or the Performing Arts

Awards may be given in the Grades (K-2), (3-5), (6-8), or (9-12) grade level divisions.

Grants

Submissions are now closed.

Instructional Mini-grants

If you are looking for a way to fund that “special project,” NJAGC funds competitive awards of up to $500 for eligible proposals for NJAGC members. These mini-grants enable teachers to develop projects that would enhance their GT programs and curriculum. Read more for Mini-Grant details and application forms.

Applications are due by December 18, 2021.

NJAGC is proud to announce the Instructional Mini-Grant allocations for the 2021-2022 grant period. The funding of NJAGC’s Instructional Mini-Grant Program represents the Executive Board’s commitment to the development of quality programs for gifted students in New Jersey.

The Instructional Mini-Grants of up to $500 are available to all current members of NJAGC.

As the new school year begins, think of ways you might supplement your G/T program with a boost from NJAGC through the Instructional Mini-Grant Program. The Mini-Grants Program was established to support and supplement local programs that provide appropriate gifted education for students in Grades K-12. Grant applicants may seek funds for use during the last quarter of 2021-2022 or for the first half of the 2022-2023 school year.

The Mini-Grant Coordinator must receive proposals by December 18, 2021. The Mini-Grants Committee will review all proposals and Mini-Grant recipients will be announced before the Annual NJAGC Conference in March 2022.

Grant proposal forms may be obtained by contacting the NJAGC office or by downloading the form at the bottom of this page. The requirements, guidelines, and directions listed on the form must be followed. Applicants not following the grant requirements/directions may be excluded from consideration. Applications must be submitted via e-mail.

Please direct all questions to the Instructional Mini-Grants Coordinator at minigrantchair@njagc.org.

Don’t delay! Brainstorm with colleagues, parents, students, and community resources to create proposals that will enhance the services for gifted students in your school. Let’s direct our mental, emotional, and financial energies toward quality education for New Jersey’s gifted and talented youth through this exciting opportunity.

All applicants must be current members of NJAGC. You can check your membership status on the mailing label of your Promise Newsletter.
Mini-Grant funds of up to $500 are awarded exclusively for programs implemented in New Jersey that are designed for students who have been identified to receive gifted education services.
Only one mini-grant will be awarded per proposal even if more than one teacher submits his/her names on the proposal. One proposal may NOT be submitted in different segments. A mini-grant is for a proposal regardless of the number of teachers or schools a project might involve.
There are no limits on how many years an applicant can submit a proposal, but the submission cannot be for the same project that was funded in prior years, although a multi-year project with a new focus is acceptable.
Applicants may apply for and/or receive only one grant per funding year.
Proposals must be submitted on the NJAGC form which can be downloaded from the Award section of NJAGC’s website www.njagc.org. Forms can also be obtained by emailing minigrantchair@njagc.org
Proposals must be used to fund programs that adhere to NJ Administrative Code as related to gifted education requirements, i.e., no after school programs. Please go to www.njagc.org and download Administrative Code and FAQs to ensure adherence to state regulations.
Proposals must demonstrate quality and creative programs and innovative learning opportunities for gifted students. Grant funds may be used for materials and supplies. The proposal cannot be used to fund transportation.
Decisions of the grant review committee are final. No appeals will be accepted.
Grant recipients will be required to sign a publicity agreement and submit a final report that will give details on how to replicate the program in other schools. Recipients also agree to allow photos and grant descriptions to be posted on the NJAGC website. In addition to the final report, recipients are encouraged to make a presentation at the annual conference of NJAGC and/or write an article for NJAGC’s Promise newsletter.
Recipients must submit a final expenditure report detailing how the funds were spent.
Deadline for grant submissions: December 18, 2021.

Student Scholarships

A member-ONLY benefit

The Barbara Swicord Scholarship

Provides discretionary funds for tuition assistance to current NJAGC members’ children who are currently in grades K-12. These funds are to be used for programs and educational opportunities outside of regular school attendance for the purpose of enhancing, developing or supplementing skills, talents and/or abilities of the applicant. Award amounts would range up to $250, but not exceed 75% of the total tuition amount. One submission per family will be accepted.

The Lisa A. DeMarzo-Rabke Parent-Child Scholarship

Created in memory of Lisa DeMarzo-Rabke, a former NJAGC trustee. This scholarship will be presented to a family whose child is in a G&T program in their school district, grades K-6. It will provide a family who may not otherwise be able to afford it, the opportunity to take part in NJAGC’s REACH. Recommendations must come through school principals, counselors or teachers. Multiple scholarships will be available for REACH 2018.

Scholarships are available to current NJAGC members’ children who are currently in grades K-12. Discretionary funds are for tuition assistance for programs and educational opportunities outside of regular school attendance for the purpose of enhancing, developing or supplementing skills, talents, and/or abilities of the applicant. Award amounts would range up to $250, but not exceed 75% of the total tuition amount.
Scholarship may only be used for a “new’ activity and not an already ongoing activity or an activity the child has already attended.
Only one scholarship may be awarded to one family.
Funds are sent directly to the program, not the students, upon notification of official acceptance and registration into the program.
A student may only receive an NJAGC scholarship only once for the same activities,
Scholarship awards are determined by the Scholarship Committee. Decisions are based on the information presented in the applications. All committee decisions are final. Students may receive only one scholarship within a 12-month period. Scholarship recipients’ names may be published in NJAGC’s Promise newsletter with parental permission
Scholarship recipients are required to complete a questionnaire at the completion of the program.
All available monies may not be awarded in one year. The committee can choose to carry over monies into the next application period.

Please include a website which details the program. Program information may take the form of a scanned flyer, letter, or other descriptive material. Lessons, camps, workshops, educational trips, special programs, etc., could all be eligible to receive funding.
Applications will be reviewed on the following criteria: Completeness of application, student interest in the program, appropriateness of the program for gifted and talented students, evidence of giftedness with support material, as well as availability of funds.
Eligible students must submit evidence of characteristics of high ability in the areas related to the program for which funds are requested. Such identification may take the form of participation in a formal gifted program, test scores or scored evaluations or some other evidence of talent in a particular area.
In addition, applicants must submit two letters of recommendations from educators familiar with student’s abilities which will be sent directly to the scholarship chair. These letters must indicate how this scholarship program would enhance the learning of the recommended student. Letters must show some correlation between the student’s abilities and strenghts and the enrichment opportunity.
Completed hard copy applications should be sent to scholarshipchair@.njagc.org
Applicants will receive an email to acknowledge receipt of their application.
Download the application here.

CALL FOR 2023 Contest ENTRIES!

Art, Writing, Video & Music Composition

For students in grades pre-K–12

Click the images to download pdf copies of the contest rules and parental permission forms for the contests your students plan to enter.

Once students complete their entries, click the links to access the submission forms for the contest(s) they are entering.