"Lakota Gem Awards" Return: Help Spotlight Staff Who Shine

After a remarkable first year that honored 46 staff members who are a cut above the rest, the Lakota Gem Award staff recognition program is back for its second year. Each month, Lakota Local Schools will continue to recognize the teachers, administrators, and support staff who go above and beyond to make our schools sparkle.

Now through the end of April, the nomination process is open to everyone—staff, parents, students and community members who wish to celebrate the precious gems whose dedication, passion and excellence have a lasting impact on Lakota.

"This year's theme, 'WE are Building OUR Future...One Piece at a Time,' reinforces the idea behind Lakota's Gem Awards," said Lakota Superintendent Dr. Ashley Whitely. "Every single role in this District is an important piece to the bigger puzzle and our overall success story." 

"The response we received during our first year of Gem Awards was impressive to say the least," Whitely continued. "Our committee read over 400 nominations and it was no small feat to select our winners each and every month. The range of responsibilities and expertise was wide ranging among our winners, but their qualities were strikingly similar. They exhibited things like teamwork, innovation, positivity, professional growth and a student-centered mentality. I'm excited to celebrate even more staff members whose brilliance makes a difference in our students' lives every single day." 

To qualify, nominees should reflect any one of these gem-like facets: 

• Sapphire of Student Support - Values strong relationships and the importance of meeting students' individual academic, social and emotional needs.
   
• Beacon of Positivity - Radiates positive energy and promotes a welcoming culture that celebrates and respects differences. 
   
• Brilliant Innovator - Uses creativity to create dynamic experiences for students and staff, solve problems and allocate available resources wisely.
   
• Polished Team Player - Embraces the power of community and collaboration to lift one another up and work together for the best possible results.
   
• Gem of Growth - A lifelong learner who values feedback and has a growth mindset for continuous professional improvement.
   
• Clear Cut Expert - A skilled master of their trade who absolutely shines in their area of expertise, leads by example and adds exceptional value to our school community.

Lakota's monthly "gems" will be celebrated for one more of these award categories, receiving one or more uniquely colored gems that correspond with the facets for which they were selected. Not every category will be awarded each month. Likewise, the same category may be awarded to multiple staff any given month.

Over time, and even during the same month, staff may be awarded multiple gems to celebrate the different qualities they exhibit through their work at Lakota. An individual will not be eligible, however, to receive the same gem twice, even spanning multiple school years.

The District aims to recognize a new group of "Lakota Gem Award" recipients on a monthly basis who represent each grade band (K-2, 3-6, 7-8 and 9-12), as well as Central Office and the Service Center. These individuals will be determined by a representative selection committee, surprised during the workday and spotlighted through district communication channels. 

Staff members can be nominated at any time through the end of April using the form linked below. New nominations will be pulled on the first day of each month in consideration for the previous month's awards. All nominations will carry over from month to month and will be considered for the rest of the current school year without needing to re-submit. At the start of each new school year, the nominee pool will be reset.

Lakota's annual "Diamond Educator of the Year Award," presented in partnership with the Northern Cincinnati Foundation and Phelan Insurance, is given to four individuals who meet the criteria of all six Gem Award categories. One individual is recognized for each of these groups: K-6 Teachers, 7-12 Teachers, Support Staff & Administrators. Nominees and winners for Lakota's monthly Gem Awards will NOT be automatically considered for this top award, but are eligible and can be nominated using the separate application shared during the spring each school year.

Visit Lakota's Gem Award webpage to learn more and view stories, videos and a listing of past winners. 
Nominate a staff member for a 2025-2026 Lakota Gem Award. Nominate by Sept. 30, 2025 for consideration in the first group of Lakota Gems to be announced mid-October.