ABOUT SUSAN B. WILSON
Susan B. Wilson, a founding member of the League of Women Voters South County, was a passionate proponent for education and civic engagement. In 1964, she helped organize the local chapter of the League and, when the state switched from paper ballots to mechanical voting machines, she made sure voters knew how to use the new technology. She held workshops for adults in the local schools and was tireless in her work and commitment to voter service and education. In naming these awards in honor of Susan B. Wilson, the League of Women Voters of Rhode Island acknowledges the importance of her work for the League and for the values of voter education and civic engagement, which she espoused.
Thinking about applying? Here is what you need to know:
The education of every child should include civics education. An educated electorate is the cornerstone of our democracy and educating students, some of whom are about to vote for the first time, about the importance of their responsibility as citizens and voters is crucial.
To encourage teachers engaged in this endeavor and to honor exceptional work in this area, the League of Women Voters South County (LWVSC) is sponsoring the Susan B. Wilson Civic Education Merit Awards with funding from the League of Women Voters Rhode Island Education Fund.
CRITERIA
The intention of these awards is to honor an individual Rhode Island educator or a team of educators who are directly teaching students and whose teaching exhibits extraordinary ability and innovation, and fulfills one or more of the following criteria:
- Enriches students' understanding of their own civic rights and responsibilities;
- Encourages students' civic participation;
- Brings context and relevance to pivotal civic events--historic and/or current--affecting the United States on a national, regional, statewide, or local level;
- Promotes understanding and appreciation of individuals who play a role in aforementioned pivotal civic events.
WHO MAY APPLY
- Any individual educator or team of educators teaching in a Rhode Island school (K - 12th grade) is eligible to apply for the merit awards on his/her/the group's own behalf.
- Any RI resident or RI group/organization may apply for the merit awards on behalf of an educator or team of educators teaching in a Rhode Island school upon consent of that person or teaching team.
- Please note that if you are nominating an indivdiual or team, please let them know so that they can provide you with the very detailed information about their program that is necessarry to compete for this award.
- Applicants do not need to be civics, history, or social studies teachers specifically
AWARDS PROCESS
Through a review of submitted on-line applications three individual Rhode Island teachers or team of teachers will be selected to receive a financial merit award. Award recipients will be ranked in the following manner:
- First Place: Grand Prize, $2,000
- Second Place: Jury Prize, $1,000
- Third Place: Honorable Mention, $500
Because this is a merit award in recognition for what a teacher has accomplished, the manner in which funds from this award are spent are left exclusively to the discretion of the recipients.
There will be three evaluators, one of whom may be a member of the LWVRI Board of Directors or its designee.
Award decisions will be announced in early-April. The award ceremony will be held 4/29/26 @ 3:30pm at the RI State House Library
HOW TO APPLY
FORMAT
The online application form consists of two parts:
- Applicant/Nominee(s) Information
- Descriptive Narrative
APPLICANT/NOMINEE(S) INFORMATION
The online form submission should include the following information:
- Name of individual or group submitting the application;
- Name of merit award nominee(s), job title(s), home mailing address(es), e-mail(s) and phone number(s);
- Name, address and phone number of nominee(s)'s school;
- Name of the individual to be the primary contact (designated contact) along with e-mail address and phone number.
DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE CONTENT
To allow the greatest flexibility in presenting important details, applicants must submit a descriptive narrative of the work relevant to the aforementioned criteria. This work will be referred to as "the program." The narrative may be composed within the online form or downloaded as a completed word document.
Some useful information to include in the narrative is listed below. It is not necessary or expected to address every bullet point specifically. The purpose of this list is to help with the composition of the narrative so that the details will illustrate the relevance, distinctiveness and effectiveness of "the program."
- Description of the educator's career development and interest in civic education;
- Number and demographic description of students effected by "the program;"
- The goal or purpose of "the program;"
- How long has "the program" been implemented and describe how it has evolved and improved;
- Description of how "the program's" effectiveness is monitored within a school year and/or from year-to-year;
- What information is gathered from monitoring "the program" and describe how this information helps to improve "the program;"
- Statistical/anecdotal information illustrating highlights of the program and/or distinctive nature of "the program;"
- Public recognition of the value of "the program" in the school's community -- locally or wider in scope;
- What about "the program" is worth replicating in other schools and describe how viable such replication would be.
ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS
Open to all RI K-12 individual teachers or teams of teachers who are directly teaching students.
All RI educators and the individuals or groups who nominate them are encouraged to apply annually, although award recipients are not eligible to apply for the three (3) consecutive terms following receipt of their merit prize.
ONLINE APPLICATION
Applications are due no later than midnight on March 25, 2026
Apply here: https://forms.gle/ENx6SruMGPzgGLFe6
QUESTIONS ABOUT WILSON MERIT AWARDS
To contact The League of Women Voters South County about anything related to these awards, email wilsoncivicawards [at] gmail.com and include a phone number.
Eligibility disclaimer:
1. Family members of LWVRI Education Fund Board of Directors, LWVRI Operating Board of Directors or LWVSC dues paying members are not eligible to receive these awards.
2. Awarding of prizes will be at the discretion of the panel of judges, including that no prizes may be awarded.
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2026 Winners
The League of Women Voters of South County is pleased to announce this year's recipeints of the 19th annual Susan B. Wilson Civic Education Merit Awards. Crystal Bozigian of North Providence High School has earned the Grand Prize; Robert Petrucci of East Greenwich High School has earned the Jury Prize; and Amarís García of the Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts in Providence, earned Honorable Mention.
In recognition of their achievements, an awards ceremony was held at the RI State House in the Library on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. Recipients, their families and colleagues were present, as well as the award evaluators and officers and members of the League of Women Voters RI.
The League inaugurated this award to honor teachers who have enriched their students' understanding of civic rights and responsibilities; have encouraged their students' civic participation; and have brought context and relevance to crucial events affecting the United States on a national, regional, statewide, or local level.
Grand Prize: Crystal Bozigian (Left) of North Providence High School, North Providence, RI
Crystal is currently the History Department Chair at North Providence High School where she has taught for 19 years. After completing her undergraduate from Providence College, she received her Masters in American Media and Popular Culture from Arizona State University and Masters in Educational Leadership form Providence College. Chrystal also advised the NPHS Mock Trial team, Project Close Up and the school’s trip to D.C. while coaching the Varsity Swim Team for the past 17 years.
Jury Prize: Robert Petrucci (Top Right) of East Greenwich High School, East Greenwich, RI
Rob is a graduate of Rhode Island College and has dedicated his career to education and student development at East Greenwich High School since 1998. He has served as Head Advisor of the EGHS Avenger Theater Program, Co-Advisor for the EGHA Student Council, Co-Lead Teacher for Capitol Forum and serves as the RI Secretary of State Civic Leadership Program as a teacher liaison. His commitment extends beyond the classroom through extensive community outreach and service.
Honorable Mention Prize: Amarís García (Bottom Right) of The Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts, Providence, RI
Amarís is a culturally responsive Social Studies and Ethnic Studies educator at TAPS. After completing her undergraduate at the University of California, Santa Barbara, she received her Master of Arts in Teaching with a focus in Social Studies and Multilingual Learner Education at Brown University. Amarís also studied abroad at the University of Barcelona. Her classroom practice is guided by a belief that civic education is most powerful when students see their voices and identities reflected in the curriculum.
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2025 Winners
Link to Ceremony: https://youtu.be/xEjuLhJhksA
Grand Prize: Janine Lee (Left) of Community Preparatory School, Providence, RI
Jury Prize: Diane Randall (Top right) of The Compass School, Kingston, RI
Honorable Mention: Christine Costa (Bottom right) of the Tiverton Middle School, Tiverton, RI
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2024 Winners
Link to ceremony: https://youtu.be/3TzMh7vrz0s
Grand Prize: Tara Seger (Top left) of Scituate High School
Jury Prize: Jacquelyn Keable (Top right) of Burrillville High School
Honorable Mention: The Highlander Charter School Team of Providence - Megan Sullivan, Dan Baldassi, Lindsay Robinson, Sharon Murphy, Courtney Brennan-Rand, and Sue White (not pictured, Holleigh Bergstrom)
2023 Winners
Heidi Lamb (L), Christopher Stanley (Top-R), Serena Mason (Bottom-R)
Grand Prize – Heidi Lamb, The Grace School, Providence
Jury Prize – Christopher Stanley, Ponaganset High School, North Scituate
Honorable Mention - Serena Mason, North Kingstown High School, North Kingstown
Watch the ceremony here: 2023 Susan B. Wilson Civics Award Ceremony
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2022 Winners
Link to award ceremony recording: https://youtu.be/jSrIHxP21w0
Grand Prize: Hannah Resseger (L), Jury Prize: Kate Ray (Top R), Honorable Mention: Thalia Wood (Bottom R)
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2021 Winners
GRAND PRIZE - Natalie O'Brien (top left)
JURY PRIZE - Alenoush Hagopian (top right)
HONORABLE MENTION - Amy Goldblatt (bottom left) and Sara Craft (bottom right)
