The Education Award

This award recognizes the role of education in the preservation, appreciation and conservation of pictographs and petroglyphs. Since children are a key component to the preservation of rock imagery in the future, individuals working with children (K-12) should be considered as well as college and continuing education projects. The award will identify worthy projects and make a monetary contribution to that project or program.

Consideration will be given to an individual, group, organization, or agency who make a scientific or artistic contribution through lesson plans or programs that include the visual arts and/or creative writing or the creation of educational materials (i.e., films, handouts or books). The main focus is on the project and its educational goals and results.

The recipient's efforts to incorporate the participation and advice of Native Peoples into their work will be valued.

The Education Award can be given to more than one recipient within the same year, and a recipient need not be a member of ARARA.

The Education Award may be given to an individual for work that was a normal part of their employment or professional activities; similarly, it can be given to a group, organization, or agency for work that was a regular part of its operations.

An Education Award recipient can be honored more than once for additional educational efforts.

Nominations must be submitted to the ARARA Awards Committee by February 28th, 2026 to the following email address: araraawards@gmail.com with the subject: Education Award_Last name. Only applications sent through the official channel will be considered for the award.

A written nomination summarizing the contributions of the proposed recipient must be signed by no less than three ARARA members endorsing the application and sent in a single email. The following template provides guidelines for the expected content of the letter: Education Nomination Template

Nominations will be forwarded to the Education Committee Chair for assessment. The Education Committee will make a decision at least one month before the conference and communicate this decision to the Awards Committee Chair and the ARARA Board has the final approval.

An award recipient will receive $500 (which may be divided among multiple recipients) and a certificate at the ARARA conference.

Past recipients include (award not given in years not listed):

• 2008: Los Vecinos del Río—Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project

• 2009: Eileen Gose—Rock Art Legacy Trunk

• 2010: Dr. Carolyn Boyd and SHUMLA School

• 2015: Celebration Park, Canyon County, Idaho

• 2018: Friends of Cedar Mesa
• 2019: The Shovel Bums Archeology Club of Blessed Sacrament School in Salt Lake City
• 2023: Al Dart and Old Pueblo Archaeology
• 2024: Salmon Ruins Museum
• 2025: Jennifer Malone