John L. Manear Outstanding Advisor Award

The John L. Manear Outstanding Advisor Award will be presented annually to one Advisor who has given generously of time, talent, creativity, and leadership to a local NEHS chapter. The award recognizes Advisors who foster the spirit of academic excellence and community service in their work with chapter members.

The recipient of the John L. Manear Outstanding Advisor Award will receive a $500 check from National English Honor Society and a plaque. Additional awards of $250 will be available to recognize the contributions of other nominees. The award is given in memory of John L. Manear, a former English teacher at Seton-LaSalle High School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Mr. Manear was an English Coordinator for the Diocese of Pittsburgh; he was also a member of the original team of educators who envisioned the creation of National English Honor Society. Mr. Manear was a  member of the NEHS Advisory Council and taught for more than fifty (50) years, dedicating his life to academic excellence in English studies.

Criteria

  1. Prior to nomination, the nominee must have completed a minimum of three consecutive years as Advisor of an active chapter. (Nominations may be submitted during the fourth or succeeding years.)
  2. A nominee cannot have received the Manear Award in the past three years.
  3. A nominee must not be serving as a member of the Advisory Council at the time of nomination.

Further Criteria

  1. The Central Office will verify active chapter status.
  2. Judges will be members of the Advisory Council of National English Honor Society.
  3. Depending on the number of nominations, Advisors not chosen for the Manear Award will be considered for an award of $250 each.
  4. Winners of the Manear Award and any runners-up will be announced through NEHS communication channels, social media, and local school and community publications.

Nomination Procedures

  1. Three letters of nomination are required. One letter should be written by a student member of the NEHS chapter the nominee leads. The second letter should be written by a faculty colleague or parent/guardian of a student member of the chapter. The final letter should come from an administrator, department chair, or other supervisor.
  2. Each letter should not exceed 500 words and must include the following:
    1. length and dates of service as a Chapter Advisor;
    2. statements describing the nominee's contributions to the success of the NEHS chapter;
    3. descriptions of the talent, creativity, and/or leadership skills of the nominee, including anecdotal examples of the nominee's influence with students, staff, and community;
    4. evidence of the passion the nominee has for English studies and how that excitement is shared with members of NEHS.
  3. Submit the letters of nomination by email:
    1. address each email to Chris Lockwood, NEHS Director at ctlockwood@niu.edu;
    2. in the subject line, type OUTSTANDING ADVISOR AWARDS;
    3. ATTACH each of the nomination letters as Word documents (doc or docx) with the nominated Advisor's name (last name first) and Award as the title of the attachment (Example: SmithMaryAdvisorAward.doc or docx);
  4. The submission period is closes on April 24, 2023, and will be awarded on May 8, 2023.
Scholarships/Awards