Company Program Awards

As an advising team, we will ask you to:

• Review the awards criteria for both individual and group awards with your students.
• Nominate students for individual awards by completing the nomination form.
• Endorse individual and group award applications by reviewing submissions online and confirming its accuracy.
• Support students with the application process by providing feedback and mentoring students in their written and presentation skills (if they move onto the interview round).

• Review the awards criteria as an advising team and discuss which individual students you wish to nominate. Each advising team can submit ONE nominee for each award.
• Once you have decided on your nominations, complete the nomination form by the deadline.
• While JA will be notifying students of their nomination, students will also benefit from hearing directly from their advisors. Please let your students know you have nominated them! 
• A few ways you can notify them include: using a personalized email congratulating them, during a mentorship call with advisors and/or announcing it during your Company Program team meetings.
• Students do not need to be nominated for the any of the following awards: Attendance Awards or any of the Group Awards as long as they meet the eligibility criteria. They must, however, include the email of an advisor to endorse their written applications.

• You will be asked to endorse the student applications for both individual and group awards once they have been submitted online.
• You can assign and/or divide the endorsement responsibility up amongst your advising team if you have multiple nominees – please let your students know which advisor email to include as their endorser.
• Once their written application has been submitted online, the endorser will receive an email that will link to the students' responses. As the endorser, you will review the responses for accuracy and confirm that the information provided is accurate to your knowledge.
• The endorsement process is time-sensitive so we ask that you keep an eye on your inbox for the email (check your spam/junk folders) and ensure that you endorse the applications as soon as possible after receiving it.
• Please note that an application will not move forward to the judging round without an advisor's endorsement.

• You are not required to nominate a student in each category.
• However, the awards are a great way for students to self-reflect on their journey and be recognized for their efforts so we encourage you to take advantage of the award nominations where you can.

• Any student participating in the JA Company Program, whether they are in grade 9, 10, 11 or 12, is eligible to be nominated.
• They can be a first year or returning Company Program student.
• As long as they have demonstrated commitment and excellence and meet the eligibility criteria, students can be nominated for individual awards.

• The students you nominate are not required to be the executives who were elected - it can be any student who really stepped up in their role even as a non-executive member.

• Discuss with your advising team the students who have stood out this past year. Who has really dedicated themselves to the program and taken initiative? Who has grown significantly throughout the 18 weeks?
• You do not have to seek out students who have been "perfect" but those who have demonstrated consistent effort to learn, grow and contribute as a team member.
• Keep in mind that the stronger students are not always the ones who are the most vocal. Is there a student who has made a difference behind the scenes? Someone who may not have been the visible "leader" but someone who has been reliable and has worked really hard throughout the program?
• You can also ask students to self-identify whether or not they want to be nominated for a particular award - ask students to share with you the reasons why they think they deserve a nomination. Note that not all students will be comfortable identifying their contributions so it is still important as an advising team to consider who may be deserving of a nomination.

• Yes, you can nominate a student for more than one individual award.
• Exception: If a student is nominated for the Extra Mile Award, they cannot be nominated for another leadership/department award (i.e. President of the Year, Leadership in Marketing, Sales, Production, Tech, HR, Finance). The Extra Mile Award nominee would be eligible to be nominated for the following additional awards: Changemaker and JA Journey.
• We would not recommend nominating students for more than two awards.

• Whether a student is nominated or not, this is a good time for students to self-reflect on their own journey and what they have learned from the program.
• Take this nomination process as a mentorship and coaching opportunity. Offer students the opportunity to speak to you and your advising team to talk openly about their journey, their performance and what they can do going forward to be nominated for awards in the future - be positive and highlight what they've done well and offer constructive advice.
• Let students know that the awards are only one element in the Company Program and not the most important - the most important is what they learned and what skills they can take with them in the future. Some of the most successful Company Program alumni were never nominated for awards either!
• As an advising team, we encourage you to create your own awards and recognition opportunities within your program to highlight different students and their achievements. Some examples include: Most Improved, Most Creative, Extraordinary Effort, Most Punctual, Most Responsive, Most Organized, Best Listener, Rising Star, Team Player, Future Leader, Most Curious, etc.
• Encourage teams to apply for the group awards (which do not require an advisor nomination) and is a great way for teams to demonstrate their success overall as a team.

• Support students in their application by reviewing the criteria and submission requirements with them.
• Encourage them to reach out to you or JA should they have any questions.
• Remind them of the deadline and ensuring that they plan ahead and submit on time.
• Ask them to send you a draft to review well in advance of their deadline so that you can offer any feedback before they submit online.
• While reviewing, pay attention to what they are sharing (is it clear? Is it relevant? Is it succinct? And does it support their application? Have the shared how they went above and beyond what was required of their role?) Students often either provide too much information or too little; support them to communicate their contributions and achievements confidently and effectively.
• Offer as much feedback and tips as you can, but do not do the work for them!