2019 NJALL Award winners

Every year NJALL recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of adult education. Meet this year's winners and find out how to nominate someone for 2020!

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Lee Snowiss, Adult Basic Education Instructor at Brookdale Community College for 27 years was named NJALL 2019 Teacher of the Year.  Lee, in the center, is flanked by her director Linda Roma and Dr. Joan Scocco.   Across the years Lee made herself available to meet with newly hired instructors, sharing words of wisdom and inviting them to observe her classroom and instructional interaction with students.  She has been a passionate advocate for students by seeking and obtaining services and support from across the college community.  Among many great students, Pasang Schreck was one of Lee’s own.  In 2019 Pasang was the first NJALL scholarship recipient to be recognized for graduating from college with her bachelor’s degree.

Judith Fitzpatrick, ESL Instructor, Greater Bergen Community Action in Hackensack also received the NJALL 2019 Teacher of the Year Award. Judy was nominated by her director, Figen Tabakci, pictured on the left.  With the vast experience and expertise that she has, Judy was the ‘go to’ ESL instructor for ideas, suggestions, recommendations, and solutions to ESL teaching challenges for our other instructors.  She had an ‘open door’ policy for other instructors who requested to observe her class and current and former students who many times came to ask her suggestions, or just to visit her.

The 2019 NJALL Lifelong Learning Award was awarded to Jacinta Vilas of the Paterson Adult and Continuing Education program (PACE).  Nominated by Nora Hoover and Susan Ronga, Jacinta had herself been a student at PACE.  She has been a personal inspiration to thousands of students and has a total understanding of the challenges and demands faced by staff, students and administrators alike. When a consortium partner was struggling, Jacinta created and provided professional development to share PACE’s successful programming and instructional strategies with the sister agency. Today that program is a thriving part of the adult education community.

2020 Award Nominations

NJALL is again asking for nominations from our network of professionals and participating organizations for the following: 

1. Barry Semple Lifelong Learning Leadership Award
This award, named for our own Dr. Barry Semple who has been a NJALL leader since 1963, will be given to an outstanding individual or group demonstrating responsibility, influence, courage, motivation, inspiration, direction or guidance, and has made an outstanding contribution to lifelong learning through research, program design and development, publications, effective and innovative use of funds, service to the profession, etc. 
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2. Teacher of the Year Award
This award is presented to an adult educator who has demonstrated professionalism and exemplary performance in the field of lifelong learning.

Nominations are due by January 31, 2020. 
Awards will be presented at the NJALL conference on May 15, 2020 at Brookdale Community College

2020 Awards Nomination form