2026 OKATE Outstanding Technology Integration District Award

Click HERE to apply!

Purpose: This award honors an OKATE member district that demonstrates visionary leadership and excellence in integrating technology across its schools. We seek to recognize a district that transforms the learning process by grounding its tech program in critical thinking and innovation, creating meaningful digital experiences that prepare students for a future of AI, data analysis, and global collaboration.

Deadline: Tuesday, September 11, 2026, by midnight.

Award: Award recipient will be announced at the OKATE 2026 conference in Tulsa on November 5. This person will receive a plaque and statewide recognition.

Section 1: District Profile

• School District (Member District)
• District Contact Name
• District Contact Email Address

Section 2: Evidence of Excellence

The nominee must demonstrate a consistent commitment to modeling and applying the ISTE Standards for Students. This section requires detailed evidence of how the nominee helps students move beyond 'flashy gadgets' to evaluate digital content, follow a design process to solve challenges, and use data to make informed decisions. For each of the following four roles—Knowledge Constructor, Innovative Designer, Computational Thinker and Global Collaborator—please provide specific, actionable examples and classroom artifacts that illustrate the district's impact on student learning.

• The Knowledge Constructor (Standard 1.3)
• The Innovative Designer (Standard 1.4)
• The Computational Thinker (Standard 1.5)
• The Global Collaborator (Standard 1.7)

Section 3: Supporting Documentation

To assist the scoring committee, please upload documentation that provides a clear picture of the district’s "technology program in action." These artifacts should directly support the claims made in the previous section regarding the ISTE Standards for Students. Use these prompts to help write your justifications: 

• 1.3 Knowledge Constructor: How does this artifact show students evaluating digital content or creating collections that make "meaningful connections"?
  
• 1.4 Innovative Designer: How does this show students using a step-by-step plan to turn a rough idea into a creative or useful solution?
  
• 1.5 Computational Thinker: How did students use digital tools to look at information, make a decision, or automate a task?
  
• 1.7 Global Collaborator: How did this project help students work with people from different backgrounds or experts to solve real-world problems?
  

Section 4: Colleague/Administrator Recommendation

Please provide the contact information for one supervisor or colleague who can speak to the district's exemplary use of technology. 

• Reference Name
• Reference Position
• Reference Email

Section 5: Certification and Attestation

• Applicant Agreement
• Media Release
• Signature

 

Questions? Contact the OKATE Nominations Committee at nominations@okate.org.