MIDTESOL is proud to offer awards to help members with conference-related fees. Four awards are offered for the MIDTESOL 2017 Conference. Please view the criteria below to apply.

The Interest Section Travel Awards

Two MIDTESOL members from each interest section will win a check in the amount of $125 to help cover expenses to the MIDTESOL 2017 Conference September 29-30 at the Downtown Marriott in Kansas City, MO.

The five interest sections are Community College/Adult Education, Educational Technology, Higher Education/Teacher Training, Intensive English Program (IEP), and K-12.

To be eligible, applicants must be employed in the ESL profession but receive no funding from their employers for expenses to attend the conference.

To enter, please submit the following in writing:

1. Name, Position, Employer(s)
2. Statement verifying that no funding is received for professional development from employers
3. Statement indicating whether you have previously been awarded any travel award from MIDTESOL
4. Statement verifying that you are a current member of MIDTESOL
5. Statement verifying that you’re willing to volunteer a few hours at the conference
6. A paragraph: What impact has attending the MIDTESOL conference had on you? How the conference will benefit you professionally? What professional involvement or contributions, if any, have you had on the field? They may include but aren’t limited to professional organizations, publications, interest groups, or your workplace.

Applications will be sent to Denise Mussman, Awards Chair, at denise@umsl.edu. The subject line of your email should read “MIDTESOL 2017: IS Travel Award”. Deadline is Friday, August 18. The Awards Committee and IS Interest Chairs will judge entries. Winners will be contacted by September 8.

Presenter Travel Awards

If you have been notified of acceptance to present at #MIDTESOL17, you are encouraged to apply for a Travel Award to help fund expenses. Up to three Travel Awards of $150 each will be granted.

To apply, the following items must be submitted to Denise C. Mussman (denise@umsl.edu), MIDTESOL Awards Chair, by August 16, 2017. The subject line of your email should read “MIDTESOL 2017: Presenter Travel Award Submission.” All application materials must be combined into one continuous document arranged in the order listed below:

1. Contact information, including name, email, and institutional affiliation;
2. Notification of proposal acceptance;
3. A brief statement (approximately 300 words, 12-point and double-spaced) describing the benefit that attending and presenting at the MIDTESOL conference will bring to you and other ELT professionals in your community;
4. An account of any outside funding sources received for travel to the conference;
5. A list of MIDTESOL Travel Awards received in the past; and
6. An agreement to submit a report outlining your presentation within a month of the conference for publication in MIDTESOL Matters, the organization’s electronic newsletter.

You will receive confirmation from the Awards Chair that your submission has been received and then a notification if you are a winner by September 6. Submissions undergo blind peer review. Incomplete applications or applications that are not in compliance with the instructions listed above will not be considered out of fairness to all applicants.

In the event that there are more proposals deemed worthy than there is money available to fund them, preference will be given to the applicant who (1) does not have external support for travel to the conference and (2) has never before received a MIDTESOL Travel Award. Decisions made by reviewers are final.

Best Student Proposal Award

MIDTESOL recognizes the contributions students make to the success of the conference as well as to the field at large. Students indicate eligibility for the award by checking the provided box on the proposal form. The Awards Committee will review the accepted proposals submitted by students, and one proposal will be chosen and the winner (or winners for co-presenters) will be presented a $200 award. The student(s) will be notified by September 6th, 2017.

Proposals undergo blind peer review. They are evaluated according to (1) significance and relevance of topic as it relates to ESL/EFL teaching and/or research; (2) written organization and clarity of proposal; and (3) originality/creativity. Decisions made by reviewers are final.

Distinguished Service Award

MIDTESOL wishes to celebrate extraordinary service to our organization. The Distinguished Service (formerly “Pat-on- the-Back”) Award honors an individual’s dedication to and leadership in MIDTESOL. The selected recipient will be awarded a lifetime membership and recognition at the next MIDTESOL Conference.

Nominations may be made only by organizational members of MIDTESOL. No current member of the MIDTESOL Board is eligible for nomination. Include the following items in the nominating dossier (combined into one continuous document arranged in the order listed below):

1. A nominating letter explaining your rationale for the choice of this individual, verifying, too, that s/he meets the eligibility requirement;
2. An up-to-date curriculum vitae of the candidate; and
3. An account of any MIDTESOL Awards received (on the part of the nominee) in the past.

Submit nominating dossier to Denise C. Mussman (denise@umsl.edu), MIDTESOL Awards Chair, by August 16, 2017. The subject line of your email should read “MIDTESOL 2017: Distinguished Service Award”.

You will receive confirmation from the Awards Chair that your submission has been received. Neither incomplete dossiers nor self-nominations will be considered.

Nominations will be judged on the individual’s service to and participation in the profession at the regional (i.e., MIDTESOL) level as detailed in the candidate’s nominating letter and CV. Nominators will be contacted by September 6.

All other criteria being equal, preference will be given to the applicant who has never before received an award from MIDTESOL. Decisions made by reviewers are final.