As the Manager of Education Policy and Research with the Latino Policy Institute in Chicago, Illinois, USA, Rebecca Vonderlack-Navarro has ​ventured to ​advocate for all Latino and English learners to have access to high quality care and education services that are linguistically and culturally responsive in an effort to close the opportunity gap. She leads efforts in family and community engagement and capacity building; equitable access and resource distribution; and pre-and in-service educator preparation.

Rebecca also provides immigrant parent workshops to discuss how various policy changes influence the education of English Learners.  Most recently, as a state-appointed member of the Illinois Advisory Council on Bilingual Education, Rebecca led efforts to advise the state on how English Learners are considered within the Every Student Succeeds Act. 

Past Recipients 

Year	Outstanding Advocate	Nominated by
2017	Gil Mendoza	WAESOL
2016	Gustavo Torres	Maryland TESOL
2015	Premiere Kathleen Wynne	TESL Ontario
2014	David Bautista	Oregon TESOL
2013	Rep. Roberto Alonzo	TexTESOL V
2012	Len Reiser, Esq	PennTESOL-Eastby Intermountain TESOL
2011	David A. M. Ware, Esq.	LaTESOL
2010	State Rep. Jeffrey Sánchez	MATSOL
2009	Rep. Jared Polis	COTESOL
2008	Rep. Tim Bishop	NYS TESOL
2007	Sen. Maria Cantwell	WAESOL
2006	Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz	Sunshine State TESOL
2005	Gilette Irby	TexTESOL IV
2004	Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg	CATESOL
2003	Dr. Alvin Thornton	Maryland TESOL
2002	State Senator Pete Suazo	Intermountain TESOL
2001	Governor Tom Vilsak	Mid-America TESOL
2000	Dr. David Lam	B.C. TEAL
1999	Assemblyman Ed Sullivan	NYS TESOL

Outstanding Global Advocate Honor

From 2002-2010, a separate award recognized individuals from outside the United States who advocated for, and on behalf of, the ESL/EFL profession. Past honorees have included:

Year	Honoree	Nominated by
2002	Dr. Victor Galindo Sanchez	Mexico TESOL
2003	Raffaele Sanzo	TESOL Italy
2004	Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan	TESOL ARABIA
2005	Dr. Vladimir Kurilov	FEELTA (Russia)
2006	Sergio Bitar	TESOL Chile
2007	Léon-Charles Ciss	ATES (Senegal)
2008	Dr. K. Lakshminarayana	FORTELL (India)
2009	Goran Andonovski & Zarko Hristovski	ELTAM (Macedonia)
2010	Minister Lucy Molinar	Panama TESOL

Questions?