The National Center for Family Literacy is accepting applications for the 2012 Toyota Teacher of the Year.

The winner will receive $20,000 for his or her program as well as a free trip to the 2012 National Conference on Family Literacy (NCFL), which will be held from March 25 through March 27 in San Diego. This will be the 16th year for the annual award. Criteria with an emphasis on parental engagement and a doubled grant prize are both new this year.

The application, which should be completed online at http://www.famlit.org/toyota-teacher-of-the-year-nomination-form/, is due no later than February 1, 2012.

The winner will be chosen by a panel of NCFL family literacy specialists, who will review nominations looking for high-performing teachers with the following criteria:
• Work for a family literacy program, Title I elementary school, preschool or community organization based in the United States. 
• Serve parents and children with a strong intergenerational approach to helping them learn together and/or use innovative ways to engage parents in their children’s education;
• Exhibit a record of success;
• Have novel ideas for expanding their program to benefit families and/or reach to engage more families; and
• Serve communities and families with high literacy and socioeconomic needs.

The selected educator will be honored at the National Conference on Family Literacy along with receiving the grant, and one runner-up will receive a $2,500 grant for his/her program and a scholarship to the conference. The recipients will be notified by early March.

The form must be completed by the nominee’s principal/director/supervisor, and nominee must answer the final question. Programs may nominate up to two educators but must submit a separate online nomination form for each.

For more information and guidelines, visit http://www.famlit.org/toyota-teacher-of-the-year-award-selection-criteria/.