Creating Learning Community Award

The Creating Learning Community awards are designed to celebrate significant contributions by individuals or groups within our unique community of teachers, parents, students, families and friends, members of the business community, and schools or groups involved in Suzuki education.

The awards will recognize those who have worked for the development and expansion of the Suzuki learning community in the Americas or internationally, or who have helped to preserve the Suzuki legacy. These contributions will have been beyond ordinary professional duties or routine administrative work and will show evidence that the welfare of the Suzuki community has been the primary motivation for the nominee’s work, not his or her individual recognition or gain.

The following are some suggestions of areas of activity that might result in nomination for a Creating Learning Community Award:

• Teachers supporting teachers, parents and/or students
• Parents supporting teachers, parents and/or students
• Students supporting teachers, parents and/or students
• International service
• Community outreach
• Inter-generational outreach
• Significant and sustained volunteer work for the SAA or other member association of ISA
• Other areas may well be possible

Eligibility

• Nominees must be active members of the SAA or other member association of ISA
• Nominees can be made at any time, but awards will be made biennially at the SAA National Conference
• Nominees documents must be received by November 3, 2025 to be considered for announcement at the 2026 conference. However, applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis.
• Nominees must meet the criteria listed above

All nominations and nomination documents will be confidential. An Awards Committee consisting of active members of the SAA, the current board Chair of SAA and the Executive Director will review nominations. The Awards Committee will be free to consult others as they feel this is necessary, bearing in mind that the process must be confidential. The Committee may also ask for additional information from the supporters of the nomination if this is felt to be necessary. Individual Board members on behalf of the SAA will present the awards to the approved recipients at the Conference.

Submit A Nominee

To submit a nominee, please prepare the following, and send it to the SAA via the link below:

• Name, address, phone number, and a brief biography with emphasis on activities related to Suzuki education
• 3 letters from active members of SAA explaining what impact the nominee has had and why the nominee should be recognized
• Name and address of a nominator
• Photos and/or short video footage are optional