Students with disabilities are too often the recipients of decisions made by others. Self-advocacy means having the opportunity, support, and confidence to participate meaningfully in decisions about one's education and life. It means understanding one's strengths, needs, interests, and goals—and learning how to communicate those things to others.

The ALL IN Student Leadership Award recognizes a middle or high school-aged student with a disability who demonstrates meaningful growth and success as a self-advocate and who is helping create a more inclusive school community.

We are looking for students who are using their voice, developing their independence, and advocating for themselves or others. A student does not need to be an exceptional public speaker or have achieved a particular academic milestone. We are interested in students who demonstrate courage, persistence, growth, and a willingness to participate in decisions that affect their education and their lives.

Nominees might demonstrate self-advocacy by:

• Participating meaningfully in their IEP meetings or other educational planning;

• Communicating their strengths, interests, needs, accommodations, or goals;

• Learning to recognize and advocate for the supports they need to be successful;

• Setting goals for themselves and taking an active role in working toward those goals;

• Speaking up when something isn't working and helping identify solutions;

• Advocating for inclusion, belonging, or access for themselves or their peers;

• Helping educators and peers better understand disability and inclusion;

• Demonstrating growth in confidence, independence, decision-making, or self-determination; or

• Using their experiences to encourage, support, or empower other students with disabilities.

ALL IN is looking for students who are helping move their schools toward greater inclusion—not simply students who have achieved the highest grades or the most traditional measures of success.

We believe that self-advocacy looks different for every student. For some, it may mean confidently speaking during an IEP meeting. For another student, it may mean learning to communicate a need, asking for an accommodation, making a choice about their future, or finding the courage to say, “This isn't working for me. Can we try something different?”

The winning student will be honored at the Inclusion Leadership Conference and will have the opportunity to share their story and perspective about self-advocacy and inclusion with educators and educational leaders. 

We invite administrators, educators, school staff, families, and others who know a remarkable student to nominate a middle or high school-aged student who is demonstrating what it means to find their voice, advocate for themselves and others, and help create a school where everyone belongs.