The Mokena School District 159 Galaxy Award is a program to specially recognize the above and beyond accomplishments and/or contributions of Mokena School District 159 employees (including teachers, support staff, and administrators), students, parents, and community members. These awards are intended to celebrate truly exceptional accomplishments and/or contributions that were so impactful it changed the life of a student, colleague, family, or the community at large in a positive and deeply meaningful way. This District 159 program is a partnership with the Mokena Educational Foundation (MEF) and the Mokena Parent-Teacher Association (PTA).
Eligibility and Nominating Process
Any employee, student or community member of District 159 is eligible to receive a Galaxy Award. Exceptions include the Board of Education President, Superintendent, Communications Liaison, and previous award winners.
Nominations are accepted via the official online form which can be accessed here. Nominations must be submitted in the time period specified below. Nominations submitted after the submission deadline will not be considered by the selection team.
The nomination form can be submitted by any District 159 stakeholder; including parents, students, staff, residents, and volunteers. A person cannot nominate himself/herself.
The form requires the nominator's name, contact information, and role in the District. Forms cannot be submitted anonymously. More than one person can contribute to a single nomination; names of additional nominators can be entered in the form field where indicated. The form requires an essay (minimum 200 words, maximum 500 words), which describes how the employee provided an above and beyond contribution that was so impactful that it changed the life of one or more individuals within the District 159 community.
Nominations that exceed the word limit may not be considered.
Timeline and Winner Selection
The 2023 nomination period will be open March 13, 2023 through April 28, 2023.
A selection team will complete a review of the submissions no later than May 15, 2023. The selection team will include the Board of Education President, Superintendent, the Public Relations Liaison, one Mokena Educational Foundation Board Member, and one Mokena PTA Board Member. The selection team members may not submit a nomination. Prior to the start of the selection process, the Superintendent may consider adjustments to the selection team at his/her discretion.
If the same individual is nominated via multiple submissions, all submissions will be considered together in determining winner selection. (The receipt of multiple submissions for a single individual will not increase the likelihood of that person being selected.)
Winners will be selected based on the information presented in the submitted form(s) describing how the nominee has demonstrated, in concrete and specific ways, the exceptional accomplishment, or how the nominee has positively impacted the life of one or more people.
Up to five individuals or groups may receive a Galaxy Award per school year, but there may be some years when no one receives an award. There may be more than one winner from the same school or community organization.
The selected winner(s) will be notified via a surprise announcement in May 2023.
Winners will be formally recognized at the beginning of the June 21, 2023 Board of Education meeting. Winners will receive up to a $100 debit card to be used at their discretion. Prizes for winners are being provided by the Mokena Educational Foundation and the Mokena Parent-Teacher Association.
People who are nominated but not selected will receive a copy of the nomination submitted on their behalf and a letter from the Superintendent acknowledging their contributions and/or accomplishment.
Link to the Nomination Form: https://forms.gle/oKp6EEUm3agJFcht7