Awards for Human Rights & Excellence

MEA’s Awards for Human Rights & Excellence are awarded annually at our Winter Conference. Nominations are accepted October 1st through November 30th of the previous year.

Nominations for the following 2026 awards are now open:

David McMahon Human Rights Award
Maurine Wyatt Feminist and Gender Equity Award
Educational Excellence Award
Gerry Crane Human and Civil Rights Award

Learn more about the awards on the nomination form, which is due by Nov. 30.

Nominating individuals or groups must be MEA members. If the nominee to be considered is an MEA member, the person must be in good standing.

Questions about awards can be sent to MEA Vice President Brett Smith at brsmith@mea.org.

Please note that award categories alternate between odd and even years — learn more about the awards given in odd numbered years here.

Learn more about our 2025 winners (pictured above from left with MEA Vice President Brett Smith):

Instructional Excellence Award – Nicki Strach (Reed City)

Instructional Excellence for Diverse Learners Award – Jamie Hitt (Lakeview St. Claire Shores)

Distinguished Servant of Public Education – Brenda Massie (Ludington)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Champion – Kaitie Paynich (Portage)

MEA member wins prestigious national honor

MEA is proud that one of our 2024 award winners, Matt Hamilton of East Jordan, won the 2025 NEA Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence.

He is the first Michigan educator to win this prestigious national honor.