NATIONAL C.L.E.A.N.™ AWARD!

C.L.E.A.N logo

National C.L.E.A.N.™ Award

Custodial Leaders for Environmental Advocacy Nationwide

Application Guidelines

Application Deadline: December 10, 2008

Click below to print the Application Guidelines

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Purpose	Award	Eligibility
Deadline	Application Package Requirements	Selection/Criteria
Notification	Who to Contact with Questions	Where to Send Your Application Package

Purpose: The national C.L.E.A.N.™ Award will recognize the contributions that custodians make to public health in their schools, communities, and their profession. The award will be presented to a school custodian that demonstrates outstanding leadership to school cleanliness, and reflects the contributions that education support professionals (ESP) can make to public health. The award program is a joint initiative of the National Education Association (NEA), the NEA Health Information Network (NEA HIN), the Soap and Detergent Association (SDA), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Return to the top of the page

Award: Up to five awards will be presented annually: one top recipient and four runners-up. Applicants will self-nominate (they do not have to be nominated by their state or local affiliate or administrator to apply). The award will recognize a single custodian or a team of custodians from one school. Return to the top of the page

The National C.L.E.A.N. award recipients will receive:

All expense paid trip, including travel, lodging, meals, and salary reimbursement, to the NEA National ESP Conference to receive award
Cash Award
One year NEA membership
Products/Supplies for school
School celebration on National C.L.E.A.N. Day, which may include a visit by representatives from NEA, SDA and CDC
Recognition in national, state, and local publications and magazines

Eligibility: Custodians employed in a K-12 school(s) located within the U.S. are eligible. Applicants must be in the profession of custodian (not maintenance, HVACR or other related job), have at least three years of experience as a custodian, and be a full time equivalent employee (work at least four hours a day). A single custodian or team of custodians at a school can apply. If a team of custodians are awarded, only one award package will be offered and must be shared among team members. Applicant must be willing and able to accept complimentary membership with NEA and receive the award at the NEA National ESP Conference. Return to the top of the page

Deadline: Application packages must be postmarked on or before December 10, 2008. Return to the top of the page

Application Package Requirements:

Application packages must be submitted by mail and must be typed. Submissions by fax or email will not be accepted. Application forms can be downloaded from the NEA Health Information Network (NEA HIN) website or will be mailed upon request. All application packages must comply with application guidelines. Complete application packages must include all of the materials listed below, in this specified order. Formatting instructions are noted for each part. Applications that do not conform to these specifications will be disqualified. Return to the top of the page

Required Documentation:

1. Data Sheet:

Requests contact information for the applicant and if the applicant is an NEA member, contact information for his/her state and local affiliate.

Applicants must use template provided
12 point font size
Must be typed
Must be signed by applicant
Click here for template (MS Word)

2. Acknowledgment Form (NEA Members ONLY)

Must acknowledge that the applicant is an NEA member in good standing with his/her state and local affiliate.

Applicants must use template provided.
12 point font size
Must be typed
Must be signed by applicant’s State President or Executive Director
Click here for template (MS Word)

3. Summary of Accomplishments

Must include specific examples to illustrate all five of the award criteria outlined in the next section. The questions themselves do not need to be reproduced in the text; however, applicants are strongly encouraged to include headings or key words to aid the panelists with their review.

Limit to five pages maximum
Double spaced
12 point font size
One inch margins on all sides
Must be typed
Numbered pages

4. Résumé

Provides a brief, factual overview of the applicant’s career, including positions held, degrees attained, honors received, etc. The résumé may also describe personal achievements or activities that are not noted elsewhere.

Limit to one page maximum
12 point font size
One inch margins on all sides
Must be typed

5. Letters of Recommendation

The applicant’s state or local affiliate president, colleagues, current or former students, parents, administrators or community members may write letters of endorsement. Letters must note how long the writer has known the nominee and in what capacity the writer is able to comment on the applicant’s professional work.

Minimum of three letters of recommendation with at least one letter written by someone at the school (student, colleague, or administrator) of the applicant
Limit to two pages maximum for each letter
Double spaced
12 point font size
One inch margins on all sides
Must be typed
Numbered pages

Optional Documentation:

6. Supplemental Materials

Supports the applicant’s work or achievements.

Limit of up to four examples of additional materials (flyers, posters, articles, photos, training materials, videos/DVDs, etc.)
Please do not send original copies of materials. Supplemental materials will not be returned.

Click here for a Sample Application Package! (Click here for PDF) (Click here for MS Word)

Click here for an Application Package Checklist! (Click here for PDF) (Click here for MS Word)

Selection/Criteria:

The C.L.E.A.N. Award Review Panel will review all application packages to ensure that eligibility and submission requirements are met. Applications will be evaluated on originality, creativity, ability to sustain results, evidence of teamwork and program impact. The Review Panel will rate nominees on a scale of 1 to 5 for each of the five criterion listed below, where 1 represents minimal evidence of the criterion, and 5 represents very strong evidence of the criterion.

Applicants must address all five criteria below in their Summary of Accomplishments to qualify for the C.L.E.A.N. Award. Applications that do not conform to these specifications will be disqualified.

1. Describe your school(s) to include:

type of school (indicate grade levels; also indicate if you work at a facility other than a school)
age of school(s)
square footage of school(s)
student enrollment and staff size (if applicable)
size of custodian workforce
particular challenges at your school (if applicable)

2. Describe your responsibilities including such things as:

job description/main duties
supervision responsibility (if applicable)

3. Explain how your leadership for school cleanliness achievements have contributed to school cleanliness:

Describe 2-3 cleaning practices that you employ in order to have a positive impact on health.
Describe how your cleaning for health initiative has impacted your school, students, affiliate and community.
How do you plan to sustain (or replicate your efforts) to ensure that your school is contributing to the overall health of students and staff in the future?
What makes you unique among your colleagues? What special talents do you bring to the job?
How have you demonstrated innovation around cleaning for health at your school(s)? (example, scuff patrol – tennis ball on a stick)
Describe a unique challenge that you have faced in your work and how you have addressed it. (if applicable)

4. Describe your collaborative outreach efforts:

How do you involve others in your cleaning for health initiative (affiliate members, other school staff, administrators, school board members, students, parents, local business officials, etc.)?

5. Describe how your work has enhanced the image of custodians/ESPs:

Describe how your work has enhanced the image of custodians/ESPs at your school(s), in your affiliate, and in your community.

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Notification:

The 2009 National C.L.E.A.N. Awards will be presented at the NEA ESP National Conference, March 2009 in Orlando, FL. Applicants will be notified of winners on or before February 1st.

Send your application package to:

Jennie Young

NEA Health Information Network

Attn: C.L.E.A.N. Award

1201 16th Street, N.W.

Suite 216

Washington, DC 20036-3207

Questions or to request application forms by mail:

Contact Jamila Boddie at [email protected] or 202-822-7768 or Jennie Young at [email protected] or 202-822-7481.

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Click below to print the Application Guidelines

(Click here for PDF) (Click here for MS Word) (Click here for HTML)


A joint initiative of the National Education Association, the NEA Health Information Network, the Soap and Detergent Association and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.