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ATLIS Aspire Awards

NOMINATIONS & APPLICATIONS OPEN NOW THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2026
Welcome to the ATLIS Aspire Awards—your opportunity to recognize and celebrate outstanding individuals and teams in the independent school technology community. These awards spotlight the visionaries, innovators, and leaders who have transformed learning experiences, championed impactful initiatives, and overcome challenges through the creative and strategic use of technology in independent schools. You can nominate yourself, a colleague, your team, or students who embody the spirit of innovation, resilience, and growth. 

Award nominations are accepted on a rolling basis. All nominations received by December 31 will be considered for the upcoming year’s Aspire Awards.

Read about the 2026 Winners Here

Celebrating IT leaders whose standout initiatives made a real difference for their school.

Behind every school that runs smoothly is someone who saw what needed to change and made it happen. This award honors IT leaders in our community who planned and led one standout technology initiative from idea to impact.

That might be rolling out a new system, simplifying a tangle of tools, strengthening the school’s security, or launching a project that changed how people work, teach, learn, or connect. However it looked, the result was a stronger school: more efficient operations, better learning experiences, or clearer communication across the community.

Big projects take vision, planning, and the trust of colleagues across the school. If you or someone you know led an initiative like this, we’d love to hear the story.

 Eligibility

  • Independent school employees who led an IT project that benefited the entire school community

What we’re looking for

  • One clearly defined initiative or project, and the leader’s role in driving it

  • Strategic thinking: why the project mattered and how it fit the school’s goals

  • Collaboration with stakeholders across the school

  • Measurable impact on efficiency, learning, communication, or the school community

Submit a Nomination
Celebrating students, educators, and teams who try bold new ideas with technology and inspire others to do the same.


Some of the most exciting work in our schools starts with a simple question: What if we tried this? This award honors the people in our community who are willing to break the mold. They imagine new possibilities for technology in education and then make them real.


That could be students who built something to solve a problem at their school, a teacher who rethought a course from the ground up, or a team that brought people together around a creative idea. These are the people who spark change, take smart risks, and show the rest of us what’s possible.


If that sounds like you, your team, or your students, we’d love to hear your story.

Eligibility

  • Individual educators and staff
  • Teams of up to five members
  • Students, applying together with their teacher or advisor


What we’re looking for

  • An original, imaginative idea that goes beyond the usual use of technology
  • Evidence of the change it sparked, whether in a classroom, a school, or beyond
  • Student voice and leadership, where students are involved
  • Inspiration other schools in the ATLIS community can learn from

Submit a Nomination
Recognizing leaders and teams driving instructional innovation with technology.


Great instruction doesn’t happen by accident. This award honors the individuals and teams in our community who use educational technology with purpose. They design learner-centered experiences, help colleagues grow, and raise the bar for what’s possible in the classroom.


Maybe it’s a teacher who changed how students engage with a subject, an instructional technology team that helped a whole faculty adopt new tools with confidence, or a leader who built a culture of meaningful, responsible tech use across the school. Their work shows up in classrooms where students are more engaged, more independent, and better prepared for what comes next.


If you know someone whose work deserves the spotlight, or if that someone is you, we’d love to hear the story.


Eligibility

  • Individuals who support effective technology integration for teaching and learning
  • Collaborative teams (up to five members) who worked together to advance instructional innovation


What we’re looking for

  • Technology is used intentionally to improve teaching and learning
  • A clear focus on learners and the difference the work has made for them
  • Evidence of impact, such as results, feedback, or examples from the classroom
  • Practices that serve as a model for other schools in the ATLIS community

Submit a Nomination