Big Apple Awards FAQ

Find answers to common questions below.

YOU! All members of the school community (including families, students, and community-based organizations) are invited to nominate a teacher!

The nomination window is now closed and will reopen again at the end of 2024.


    Nominees can be any current teacher in a:

    • NYC district school
    • Charter school
    • NYCEEC, district school, or Pre-K center (early childhood teacher who teaches infants, toddlers, 3s, or 4s)

    When choosing someone to nominate, think of who has gone above and beyond to serve their students and school community. The Big Apple Awards recognize and celebrate New York City teachers who make positive differences for all the students they teach. Has a teacher changed your student's life for the better? We want to hear from you!


    The nomination window is now closed and will reopen again at the end of 2024.


    Absolutely! We encourage you to nominate yourself and/or any public school teacher.


    Yes, you may nominate as many teachers as you like for this award. You will need to submit a separate nomination for each person you would like to be considered.


    The Big Apple Awards team and review committee will have access to nomination information. Nominations can be accepted anonymously through the nomination form should you choose not to include your email address. It is possible that statements from nominations will be used anonymously on social media for the promotion of the awards program.


    Recipient selection is a multi-step process that takes many months—and it all starts with you! Students, families, administrators, and community members can all nominate any public school teacher. Nominated teachers will receive an email from our program with a request to complete a nomination application. We then initiate a rigorous selection process that includes multiple stakeholders across the system. 


    Recipients receive surprise appearances from the chancellor, deputy chancellors, and other members of the NYC education community, notifying them of their award. This allows us to honor and celebrate these exceptional teachers in their teaching environment, sometimes even with their students and colleagues!

    Additionally, Big Apple Award recipients serve as Big Apple Fellows, in addition to continuing their amazing work in the classroom. Fellows meet to develop their leadership skills and expertise in education.


    The Big Apple Awards are made possible through generous funding from The Fund for Public Schools, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York Road Runners, the Jody and John Arnhold Foundation, the Arthur Miller Foundation, and Studio in a School.