Individual Award
CU Counsellor of the Year Award
About the Award
School and career counsellors play a vital role in guiding students through key academic, personal, and career decisions that shape their futures. Through empathy, expertise, and dedication, they help students discover their strengths, navigate challenges, and plan for meaningful pathways beyond school.
This award recognizes an exceptional Career and University Guidance Counsellor who demonstrates consistent excellence in practice, innovative approaches to guidance, a measurable positive impact on students and the school community, and the leadership to inspire peers and advance the profession. It also honors a strong commitment to professional ethics, continuous learning, and the highest standards of integrity – celebrating role models whose dedication, compassion, and expertise leave a lasting, positive imprint on the lives of the students they serve.
Prize
AED 50,000
Cash prize for the winner
Participation
Eligibility
Career and University Guidance Counsellors of public, private, and charter schools with a minimum of three years of counselling experience within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Any eligible counsellor may either be nominated or self-nominate for this award.
Submission Requirements
Your submission must include the following:
Rationale for your nomination, outlining the counsellor’s philosophy, approach, and professional values (max 150 words, score 15%).
Description of their counselling work, highlighting specific strategies, initiatives, or innovations they implemented, the target group(s) they serve, and success measures (max 300 words, score 25%).
Evidence of impact, including qualitative and/or quantitative data showing how their work has positively influenced students’ academic, personal, and career outcomes (max 300 words, score 25%).
Contributions to the field, such as mentoring peers, leading community engagement activities, or sharing best practices within the profession (max 200 words, score 15%).
Letters of recommendation from colleagues, school leadership, or students/families, endorsing their exceptional contributions (max 2 letters, combined maximum 300 words, score 10%).
Supporting materials and one video (max 3 minutes) including testimonials that bring their work to life (score 15%).
