Employee Awards

The Excellence In Education Awards Ceremony will be in the Eisenhower Auditorium on Thursday, April 25, 2024, from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM followed by tacos, photos, mingling, and more. The cost is $5.00/person (nominees and a guest are free; Yakima School District students are free, children 5 and under are free).

Yakima School District employees can be nominated for an award. Employees need to have served two years in a full-time role. Community members can be nominated for the Yakima Schools Foundation's Champion of Youth Award. 

The chairs of the Crystal Apple Award are Carmela Solarzano and Drew Harris. The coordinator for the Shining Star Award is Chris Miller. The Champion Of Youth Award is coordinated by Shawna Masters at Director@yakimaschoolsfoundation.org.

• Crystal Apple Award: Five certificated, non-administrative candidates will be awarded (YEA, Certificated Coaches, Certificated Nurses)
• Crystal Apple Award: One building administrator candidate will be awarded (YPA)
• Shining Star Award: Up to five classified, non-administrative candidates will be awarded (Teamsters 760, YABS, YAP, YEOP, PSE, YMA, YPTA, Exempt, OSG)
• Shining Star Award: One district department director candidate will be awarded (certificated and classified executive directors, directors, assistant directors, and program managers)
• Champion Of Youth Award: The Yakima Schools Foundation's Champion of Youth Award recognizes s community member who impacts the lives of our students and empowers them to achieve academic and personal success. Nominees are seen as outstanding community members dedicated to strengthening public education, creating equity, and empowering students. They are committed to seeking ways to enhance student learning to ensure a brighter tomorrow.  

YSD superintendents and previous recipients are not eligible.

Nomination packets are due April 11, 2024, by 4:00 PM to talavera.jazmin@ysd7.org. There will be no extensions. Nominations can be made by students, former students, parents, community members, teachers, administrators, or school-related groups.

Crystal Apple Nominees

This award honors the certified educator profession by awarding certificated individuals who positively impact the lives and futures of their students. Crystal Apple Awards are given by the business community in Yakima, not the district. The chairpersons of the Crystal Apple Awards this year are Carmela Solarzano and Drew Harris. The goals of the Crystal Apple Awards are to...

• Reward excellence in education in the Yakima Public Schools
• Encourage creative and quality instruction
• Encourage the development of a positive learning environment
• Encourage excellent educators to remain in education as a career
• Provide an incentive for individual initiative on the part of educators
• Contribute in a substantive way to the improvement of education in the Yakima School District.

Shining Star Nominees

The purpose of this award is to recognize the outstanding achievements of Yakima Public Schools’ classified employees. It honors those employees who consistently demonstrate outstanding work performance, exemplary leadership, collaboration, and dedication to the district and its mission every day.