The Yolo County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) Community Advisory Committee (CAC) is now accepting nominations for its annual awards, which recognize individuals or teams providing exceptional service to children and adults with special needs in Yolo County.

Nominations are open online at www.ycoe.org/selpa and will be accepted until Friday, March 14.

According to a Yolo County SELPA press release, the awards honor individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary dedication, commitment and innovation in supporting people with special needs, whether they are school employees, parents, volunteers, students, or agency professionals.

The awards will celebrate those who have gone above and beyond in their service, with nominees evaluated based on several key criteria, including:

Years of exceptional service to individuals with special needs

Demonstrated innovation, creativity, or accomplishments beyond their usual role requirements

Significant contributions to improving the lives of individuals with special needs in Yolo County

The award recipients will be honored at a reception on Monday, May 12, at the Yolo County Office of Education Conference Center (1280 Santa Anita Ct., Suite 120 in Woodland), with dinner served at 6 p.m.

The Community Advisory Committee is an organization of parents, educators, and community members from Yolo County’s five school districts and YCOE. The CAC provides valuable community awareness projects, in-service trainings for parents, and offers input on the Yolo County SELPA Local Plan. CAC meetings are open to the public, and everyone is encouraged to attend.

More information is available on the Yolo County SELPA website at www.ycoe.org/selpa.