Adviser Awards

The FCCLA Adviser of the Year Award, presented by U.S. Army, is the highest honor a chapter adviser can receive and aims to recognize and celebrate the dedication, leadership, and excellence of outstanding chapter advisers who have made significant contributions to the growth and success of FCCLA at the local, state, and national levels. This prestigious award is presented annually at the National Leadership Conference to acknowledge the critical role that advisers play in shaping the future of FCCLA Members.

Deadline:

Nominations must be submitted through the online application form below by Friday, February 20, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Late submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances.

Eligibility:

Current, affiliated FCCLA Chapter Advisers for the 2025-2026 school year with at least three (3) years of service as an FCCLA Chapter Adviser.

Awards and Recognition:

Each of the top five finalists will receive a $1,000 cash prize. The FCCLA Adviser of the Year will receive an additional $2,000 cash prize, totaling $3,000.

Guidelines and Rubric

Please review the document below, which includes the Award Guidelines, Evaluation Rubric, and the required information for the nomination form. If you have any questions, please contact adviser@fcclainc.org.

Important Notice:
Please note that the application form must be completed in one sitting, as it cannot be saved and returned to later. To ensure a smooth submission process, prepare all required information and responses in advance. Applicants are encouraged to save their responses in a separate Word document before beginning the application form.

The Adviser Mentor Award recognizes advisers who have been successful in achieving Master Adviser Recognition, devoting two years to new adviser assistance, assuming adult leadership roles in FCCLA, conducting adviser workshops, attending training workshops, and using national and state FCCLA resources.

Criteria:

Adviser Mentor award recognizes the skills of experienced advisers who help orient and train new advisers. It also recognizes advisers who have been successful in--

• achieving Master Adviser recognition;
• devoting two years to new adviser assistance;
• assuming adult leadership roles in Family, Career and Community Leaders of America;
• conducting adviser workshops;
• attending training workshops;
• using national and state FCCLA resources.

Official Rules:

• Nominations may be submitted by: adviser award candidate, teacher educator, local family and consumer sciences supervisor, state adviser, professional colleague, or FCCLA Member.
• Nominee must have attained Master Adviser recognition
• Nominee must have assisted beginning or returning advisers for a minimum of two years after receiving Master Adviser recognition
• Nominee must serve as a current FCCLA Adviser
• A link to a total of three recommendations is required: One each from an FCCLA Member, a school administrator (principal, superintendent, or vocational director), and one from a person of candidate’s choice (teacher educator, city supervisor, another teacher, etc.)
• For award consideration, nominations must be submitted by March 1 and approved by State Advisers by April 1.
• Winners will be recognized at the National Leadership Conference.
• Questions: adviser@fcclainc.org

Nominations are made in the FCCLA Portal under Surveys and Applications, or in the Alumni and Associates Portal under Resources.

FCCLA recognizes the accomplishments of current chapter advisers of FCCLA who have gone above and beyond in their professional development activities and participation throughout the school year.

Criteria

• Applicants will be recognized for their accomplishment of Adviser Professional Development hours. Evaluation will be based on the following:
• Active affiliated FCCLA chapter.
• Professional Development Hours included on the application must have been completed between April 1 and March 2.
• A link to a minimum of 5 CEUs or 50 credit hours/units (10 PDU’s = 1 CEU). 3 (at minimum) of which must be from FCCLA specific events.
• A link to three letters of recommendation:
  • School/building administrator
  • FCCLA Member
  • Nominee’s FCCLA State Adviser

Official Rules:

• Applicants must be current Family and Consumer Sciences educators and Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, Inc., advisers.
• Winners will be selected based on the judge’s evaluation of the given criteria. The judge’s decisions are final.
• The nominee receiving the highest score will receive national recognition.
• Adviser Academy CEU/PDUs do not qualify for this award.
• For award consideration, applications are due by March 1 and approved by State Advisers by April 1.
• Winners will be recognized at the National Leadership Conference.
• Questions: adviser@fcclainc.org

Nominations are made in the FCCLA Portal under Surveys and Applications, or in the Alumni and Associates Portal under Resources.

The Spirit of Advising Award recognizes chapter advisers who are constantly faithful, often quietly working behind the scenes to ensure the success of their students.

Criteria

State Advisers should consider the following qualities in advisers when making their nomination:

• Believes in the mission of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America
• Supports and works with students to ensure student success
• Provides learning experiences
• Encourages positive character development
• Dedicates time and energy to nurturing student leaders
• Serves as a current FCCLA adviser

Official Rules

• State Advisers may nominate only one adviser
• Nomination must be submitted via the FCCLA State Adviser Portal
• For award consideration, nominations must be submitted by April 1.
• The winner will be recognized at the National Leadership Conference.
• Questions: adviser@fcclainc.org

Nominations are made in the FCCLA State Adviser Portal under Surveys and Applications.

The FCCLA State Adviser of the Year Award recognizes one individual who exemplifies professional management of the state association, dedication to FCCLA, and strong support of the national organization and its programs. The individual in the state who is currently responsible for the day-to-day management of the state FCCLA Association, regardless of title, is eligible to be nominated for this award.

Completed nomination forms need to be emailed to Sandy Spavone at sspavone@fcclainc.org by April 1.