The Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers
Click on any award to learn more:
Teacher of the Year
Ronald W. Walker Memorial Grant
Genevieve Overman Memorial Service Award
Lynn Sandstedt Program Leadership Award
Kris Wells Memorial Creativity Award
Early Career Educator Award
The Friend of World Languages Award
Post Secondary Research Grant
Excellence in Teaching Award
Teacher of the Year
(TOY)
This distinction recognizes the spark plugs; the fireworks; the twinkling chandeliers; the tinderboxes of ideas ignited by an enthusiasm for teaching; the educators with enough gleam and glimmer to light up dark rooms and dark times; the glow-in-the dark, phosphorescent types who radiate warmth in all directions; the mentors and friends who keep the path toward excellence illuminated, and remind the rest of us, students and fellow teachers alike, that there is always, always light at the end of every tunnel. Intended for K-postsecondary world language teachers with a minimum of ten years of teaching experience, the CCFLT Teacher of the Year award honors the flame and flicker of our best and brightest.
The CCFLT Teacher of the Year application and rubric are inspired to a great extent by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language’s (ACTFL) Teacher of the Year application dossier, as our hope is that our Teacher of the Year goes on to win as the ACTFL Teacher of the Year.
The winner of the CCFLT Teacher of the Year award should be a current world language teacher within the state of Colorado, as well as a member of the CCFLT. Additionally, the winner will be honored with a plaque at both the fall and spring CCFLT conferences, at no cost to them, where they are invited to present on the topic of their choice. Finally, the winner will receive a $500 travel stipend toward to attend the annual Southwestern Conference on Language Teaching (SWCOLT), where they will represent CCFLT and will be considered for the SWCOLT Regional Teacher of the Year Award.
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Applicant Dossiers will be measured using this rubric. Application and Supporting documents are due January 15, 2025
Ronald W. Walker Memorial Grant
Each year, the CCFLT presents to a member this $500 grant intended to support and honor teachers for the innovation and ingenuity they have brought into their classrooms. In the past, this grant has been used to fund language enrichment resources for the winner’s classroom.
This award honors the memory of Ron Walker, former professor of German at Colorado State University. Friends and colleagues remember Walker’s intellect, his innovative scholarship, and his expertise in second language acquisition theory and world language pedagogy. He left his mark on the CCFLT through his service on the Board of Directors, who benefited from his leadership and commitment for 13 years. Walker valued the role of the CCFLT within our community of educators, most especially for the common bond it inspires between teachers.
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In addition ensuring that they are a current CCFLT member, applicants should submit the following supporting documents:
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a current curriculum vitae;
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a personal statement, not to exceed 1000 words, describing the applicant’s research, in particular:
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the goal and scope of the project;
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its uniqueness and relevance within the landscape of language acquisition;
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a detailed outline, including a specific timeframe;
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a comprehensive budget, highlighting the need for the grant funds;
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one letter of recommendation from figures familiar with the applicant’s work as an educator.
A space for the winner of the Ronald W. Walker Innovation Memorial Grant will be held in the subsequent CCFLT Spring Conference, where we ask that they attend, with complimentary registration, and present the results of their research. We also invite the winner to submit a short entry to a CCFLT newsletter in which they discuss their project. Applicant Dossiers will be measured using this rubric. Application and Supporting documents are due December 31, 2024.
Genevieve Overman Memorial Service Award
Among our most prestigious awards, the Genevieve Overman Memorial Service Award (named for original CCFLT secretary Genevieve Overman) honors a CCFLT member for lengthy and dedicated service to the world language profession and to the CCFLT.
Genevieve Overman (1907-1979) was a teacher of Latin in the Denver Public Schools for most, if not all, of her career. During the last decade or two of her employment, she was also the Supervisor of Foreign Languages in Denver Public Schools. She not only had a long career as a teacher and supervisor, but continued to serve the profession for almost a decade after retirement. The present structure and many of the successes of CCFLT are, in large part, due to her influences.
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When she retired in 1971, she was appointed to the position of Secretary-Treasurer of our organization. Even before the CCFLT was officially incorporated in 1971, and in the early years when the world language teachers met as a “special interest group” of the Colorado Education Association, Genevieve provided a great deal of leadership and assistance to all world language teachers.
In addition to ensuring current membership within the CCFLT, applicants should submit:
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A personal statement, not to exceed 600 words, that speaks to the strengths, accomplishments, dedication, impact, and service of the nominee to world language education and to the CCFLT;
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Three one-page letters of support that also address the candidate’s strengths;
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A current curriculum vitae.
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The winner will be honored with a plaque during the awards ceremony of the CCFLT spring conference. Applicant Dossiers will be measured using this rubric. Application and Supporting documents are due December 31, 2024.
Lynn Sandstedt Program Leadership Award
We present the Lynn Sandstedt Program Leadership Award to a world language educator who has shown tremendous leadership and innovation beyond the classroom arena. This recognition honors the memory of the late Lynn Sandstedt, a vocal advocate and member of the CCFLT for many years. Throughout his career, he was honored countless times, on both the national and international stage, and he earned accolades at every level of instruction. Indeed, in 1998, Sandstedt received the prestigious award “The Cruz of Alfonso el Sabio,” presented by the Orden Civil de Alfonso X el Sabio, for which he was recognized by the Spanish Ministry of Education. Well-known within Colorado’s university community, Sandstedt was also named among the University of Northern Colorado’s initial group of most valued alumni.
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In addition ensuring that they are a current CCFLT member, applicants should submit the following supporting documents:
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a current curriculum vitae
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a personal statement, not to exceed 600 words, describing the applicant’s impact, service, and leadership beyond the classroom
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two letters of recommendation from figures familiar with the applicant’s work
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The winner will be honored with a plaque during the awards ceremony of the CCFLT spring conference. Applicant Dossiers will be measured using this rubric. Application and supporting documents are due December 31, 2024.
Kris Wells Memorial Creativity Award
This award, designated for educators who show exceptional innovation and creativity for or within the World Language classroom, honors the memory of teacher and former CCFLT President Kris (Christine) Wells. Kris retired from Cheyenne Mountain School District in 2004 after 22 years of teaching junior high Spanish. In 1989, she received the Rose Award in recognition of outstanding service to education from the Cheyenne Mountain School District, and in 2004, Wells was named Colorado State Foreign Language Teacher of the Year. Wells ultimately authored textbooks for Pearson Prentice Hall and presented nationwide for both Pearson Prentice Hall and the McGraw Hill Wright Group. She was the embodiment of innovation and creativity in the world language classroom, and she was responsible for inspiring countless students and colleagues.
In addition ensuring that they are a current CCFLT member, applicants should submit the following supporting documents:
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a current curriculum vitae
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a personal statement, not to exceed 600 words, describing the applicant’s innovation and creativity within the world of language teaching, as well as their mentorship of colleagues and language learners
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two letters of recommendation from figures familiar with the applicant’s work as an educator
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The winner will be honored with a plaque during the awards ceremony of the CCFLT spring conference. Applicant Dossiers will be measured using this rubric. Application and Supporting documents are due December 31, 2024
Early Career Educator Award
First awarded in 1980, this award honors a world language educator, within their first three years of teaching World Language, who has demonstrated exceptional ability and potential in classroom instruction.
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In addition to ensuring that they are a current CCFLT member, applicants should submit the following supporting documents:
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a current curriculum vitae
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a personal statement, not to exceed 600 words, describing the applicant’s experiences, perspectives and contributions as a new teacher
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two letters of recommendation from figures familiar with the applicant’s work as an educator
The winner will be honored with a framed certificate during the awards ceremony of the CCFLT spring conference. Applicant Dossiers will be measured using this rubric. Application and Supporting documents are due December 31, 2024.
The Friend of World Languages Award
We present this honor to an individual or a group who operates outside the formal instruction, but who has made significant contribution to the promotion of the teaching and learning of world languages.
The applicant must not be a current world language teacher or professor. Applicants should submit the following supporting documents:
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a current curriculum vitae
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a personal statement, not to exceed 600 words, responding to the following questions: What do you perceive to be the value of world language education, and what motivates you to support this field? How would you persuade a friend or colleague to become supportive of world language education? What has been the extent of your impact as an advocate?
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two letters of recommendation from figures familiar with the applicant’s work as an advocate for world languages
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a short biography, not to exceed 150 words, describing the applicant’s professional life and world language advocacy
The winner will be honored with a plaque during the awards ceremony of the CCFLT spring conference. Applicant Dossiers will be measured using this rubric. Application and Supporting documents are due December 31, 2024.
Post Secondary Research Grant
We present this honor to any full- or part-time university instructor for his or her research in, or related to, any theme of world language instruction. This criterion includes, but is not limited to, research within second language acquisition, literature, history, cultural studies, and/or cinema studies. Doctoral students are encouraged to apply. $500 is attached to this grant for continued research on the topic.
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In addition to ensuring that they are a current CCFLT member, applicants should submit the following supporting documents:
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a current curriculum vitae;
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a personal statement, not to exceed 1000 words, that delineates the breadth, the benefit, and the relevance of the applicant’s research inquiry, as well attests to which research purposes the grant money will be used;
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one letter of support from a figure who is familiar with the candidate’s research.
Applicant Dossiers will be measured using this rubric. Application and Supporting documents are due December 31, 2024
Excellence in Teaching Award
Reserved for veteran teachers who have dedicated more than five years to classroom instruction, this honor recognizes the extraordinary performance of a Colorado world language teacher, instructor, or professor at any level of instruction.
In addition to ensuring that they are a current CCFLT member, applicants should submit the following supporting documents:
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a current curriculum vitae, highlighting that they have been in the classroom for five or more years;
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a personal statement, not to exceed 600 words, describing the applicant’s approach to excellent instruction, honor student diversity, and community and family engagement;
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two letters of recommendation from figures familiar with the applicant’s work as an educator;
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a letter from a student sharing their experience working in the classroom with this teacher.
The winner will be honored with a plaque during the awards ceremony of the CCFLT spring conference. Applicant Dossiers will be measured using this rubric. Application and Supporting documents are due December 31, 2024.