2026 OKATE Technology Leader of the Year Award

Click HERE to apply!

Purpose: This award honors an outstanding leader from an OKATE member district who demonstrates visionary leadership and excellence in driving systemic digital transformation. We seek to recognize an individual who shapes a shared vision, empowers a culture of innovation, and designs the strategic systems necessary to enhance learning for all students and colleagues.

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: Nominee Profile

• Nominee Name
• Nominee Address
• School District
• Job Title

Section 2: Evidence of Excellence

The nominee must demonstrate a consistent commitment to modeling and applying the ISTE Standards for Education Leaders. This section requires detailed evidence of how the nominee leads, supports, and sustains transformative digital learning environments across their school or district. For each of the following three roles—Visionary Planner, Empowering Leader and Systems Designer—please provide specific artifacts and data-driven examples that illustrate the nominee's impact on the digital learning environment and student success.

• The Visionary Planner (Standard 3.2)
• The Empowering Leader (Standard 3.3)
• The Systems Designer (Standard 3.4)

Section 3: Supporting Documentation

To assist the scoring committee, please upload documentation that provides a clear picture of the nominee’s leadership in action. These artifacts should directly support the claims made in the previous section regarding the ISTE Standards for Education Leaders. Use these prompts to help write your justification. 

• 3.2 Visionary Planner: How does this artifact show your leadership in strategic planning or your advocacy for equitable access?
• 3.3 Empowering Leader: How does this demonstrate your support for teacher-led innovation or student agency through digital tools?
• 3.4 Systems Designer: How does this evidence show you using data or infrastructure to optimize learning and operations?

Section 4: Colleague/Administrator Recommendation

Please provide the contact information for one supervisor or colleague who can speak to your role as a visionary planner and your success in empowering others through 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.