Who makes your school or community better because of the way they treat people? The Dignity Awards invites participants to nominate students, teachers, custodians, coaches, cafeteria staff, bus drivers, administrators, volunteers, community members, and others for specific actions that help people feel seen, heard, safe, included, and valued.

S4D members collect nominations, select recipients, and recognize them during Dignity Week. Students can even design and create the award itself, turning it into a school tradition that celebrates how people treat each other, not just what they achieve.

• Nomination forms or QR code for digital nomination form
• Nomination boxes or collection locations
• Signs/posters explaining the awards
• A simple process for selecting recipients
• Student-created awards, plaques, certificates, or trophies
• Optional: materials for an awards ceremony
• Optional: community sponsors or donated prizes

Recognition is one of the Ten Essential Elements of Dignity: acknowledging others for their contributions, talents, hard work, thoughtfulness, and help. Dignity Awards invites the entire school to notice the people and actions that often go unnoticed. Rather than recognizing popularity, position, grades, athletic ability, or achievement, participants look for specific ways people make others feel valued. The nomination itself is part of the activity. Before we can recognize dignity, we have to notice when it happens.

1. Decide what you're recognizing. Create a simple nomination prompt focused on specific actions, such as: Who makes this place better because of how they treat people? What did/do they do?
2. Invite everyone to nominate. Place nomination boxes and QR codes around the school. Encourage nominations for students, staff, volunteers, and others who contribute to your school community.
3. Ask for the story. Require nominators to describe a specific action or example. "She's nice" is good, but it's not enough. What did the person actually do that helped someone feel seen, heard, safe, included and/or valued?
4. Create the award. Invite S4D members or art/design students to make a trophy, plaque, sculpture, medal, or other original award. Consider creating a design that can become an annual tradition.
5. Review nominations. Have a small group of students and an advisor review submissions and select recipients. Look for compelling examples of dignity rather than just the people with the most nominations.
6. Tell the recipient why. When presenting each award, share the specific action that inspired the nomination whenever appropriate. The story matters as much as the award.
7. Celebrate. Surprise recipients throughout Dignity Week or recognize everyone together on Global Dignity Day.

This activity should be student-driven, but here are some ideas and things to consider to get you started.

Think beyond the people who usually receive awards:

• Students: someone who includes others, stands up for someone, welcomes new students, listens well, helps without being asked, or makes others feel like they belong
• Teachers & Staff: teachers, paraprofessionals, custodians, cafeteria workers, office staff, counselors, coaches, librarians, bus drivers, crossing guards, security staff, administrators, substitutes, and others
• Community: volunteers, mentors, local business owners, coaches, neighbors, first responders, librarians, or community partners

• Who makes this place better because of how they treat people?
• Who has helped you feel seen, heard, safe, or valued?
• Who includes people who might otherwise be left out?
• Who does something important that often goes unnoticed?
• Who stood up for someone else's dignity?
• Who showed dignity during a disagreement or difficult situation?
• Who deserves to hear, "We noticed what you do for our school"?

Don't feel like you need to order a trophy! Challenge yourselves to create something meaningful to your school. Ideas could include:

• A student-designed plaque
• A small sculpture
• A painted or engraved wooden award
• A ceramic piece created by an art student
• A medal or pin
• A school mascot incorporated into a design
• A traveling trophy displayed with each year's recipients
• A permanent plaque listing recipients each year

Turn Dignity Awards into an annual Global Dignity Day Awards Ceremony. Invite recipients, nominators, families, school leaders, and community members and share stories behind each award. Partner with local businesses or community organizations to sponsor the event, provide food, help create awards, or donate recognition gifts. For a full-scale version, host a Dignity Awards breakfast, luncheon, or banquet celebrating people who strengthen both the school and the surrounding community.

Consider adding community nominations too: crossing guards, volunteers, first responders, librarians, local business owners, coaches, mentors, or others whose everyday actions help people feel valued.

Skip the formal nomination process. During one week, invite S4D members to notice dignity in action around the school and nominate people themselves. Choose 3–5 recipients, create simple handmade awards or certificates, and surprise each person during Dignity Week. Share the specific reason they were recognized. No prizes, ceremonies, or selection process required.

Full designed PDF with the complete nomination and award-creation ideas — see the download button above.