National Board Certification Award

The Support Education Foundation is proud to support Maryland educators through its National Board Certification Award, which invests in teaching excellence and long-term educator impact. This $500 award helps offset costs associated with pursuing or maintaining National Board Certification, including materials, mentoring, coaching or professional workshops. One recipient will be selected from each of Maryland’s five regions, for a total of 20 awards statewide.

National Board Certification is a nationally recognized standard of accomplished teaching and directly supports Maryland’s focus on hiring and retaining highly qualified educators. By helping teachers strengthen their practice and continue their professional growth, this award supports educator retention, enhances classroom outcomes and reinforces Maryland’s commitment to educational excellence.

Award amount

A one-time $500 educator award. We have 20 awards available in 2026.*

Award purpose

The National Board Certification Award supports Maryland educators pursuing or maintaining National Board Certification by helping offset costs for professional development, such as materials, mentoring, coaching and workshops.

Eligibility

Applicants must be an educator who meets our eligibility criteria.*

* Awards will be granted to eligible (K-12) education employees in the state of Maryland, with one guaranteed winner in each region (Western, Capital, Central, Southern and the Eastern Shore).

As a condition of receiving this award, recipients are required to participate in post-training surveys and provide ongoing feedback regarding their training experience. Recipients may also be requested to submit testimonials following training completion.

We will only accept applications from U.S. residents who are employed at a school or eligible education institution within the United States. Applicants are eligible to apply for one scholarship per year from the Support Education Foundation. Educational Systems FCU employees, volunteers and their family members are not eligible to apply.