TESOL members in good standing who are interested in becoming more involved in the work of TESOL International Association.
Purpose
The Leadership Mentoring Program (LMP) helps TESOL members become more involved in the work of the association. Preference is given to individuals from underrepresented groups within TESOL. This program pairs selected individuals with experienced TESOL leaders who mentor recipients throughout the year as the partnership works together to contribute their time and expertise to TESOL and its varied activities and projects.
How to Apply
Those accepted into the program receive the following:
- Free registration to the annual TESOL convention.
- U.S.$1,000 for lodging expenses during the convention.
- A mentoring relationship with a TESOL leader.
Criteria for Evaluating Applications
Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Organizational experience, such as involvement in an affiliate of TESOL International Association.
- Service to the TESOL profession.
- Potential for TESOL International Association involvement and leadership.
For more details, please see the Evaluation Rubric.
To complete the online application process, you will need the following information. You are strongly encouraged to gather this information before you begin the application. That way, you can fill out the application completely, and you will not have to go back and fill in items later.
Please explain why you would like to participate in this program and what you hope to gain from it (500 words max).
Education/ Professional History
Provide the following information:
- Employment history.
- Post-secondary education history.
- Relevant awards and honors.
The letter of support must explain why the applicant should be selected. Additionally, it must cite the candidate's TESOL involvement, such as in an affiliate, and/or other relevant service to the profession
You will be asked to provide a contact email address for the person completing the supporting letter. Your supporter will receive a message from awards@tesol.org at the address that you provide. The email will invite your supporter to upload a letter of recommendation directly to the application system. The email request will not be sent until you "complete and finalize" your application.
Note: The letter of support deadline is the same as the application deadline (30 November). Applications without the letter of support will be marked as incomplete and will not be evaluated.
Please ask your supporter to watch for a message from awards@tesol.org. To ensure that they receive the message, please ask them to add awards@tesol.org to their contacts or to their spam whitelist. If your supporter does not receive the message, please contact TESOL Awards.
Apply Now
Submit Your Online Application
The application deadline is 15 September.
2025 Recipients

Anestin Chi is a multiple award–winning Cameroonian English and French languages teacher with more than 12 years of experience. She is also a language consultant and a teacher educator and has invested extensively in supporting teachers in Cameroon, in particular, and Sub-Saharan Africa in general.

Enkhchimeg Sharav is a PhD student in curriculum and instruction at Montana State University, with research interests in technology integration in teaching, instructional coaching, and international education. She is the founder of the International Education Networking Initiative, a nonprofit organization committed to fostering educational connections at local and global levels.
Yasmeen Coaxum, adjunct associate at the American Language Program at Columbia University, holds an MA in applied linguistics and language acquisition from the University of Barcelona. She has specialized in teaching English for academic purposes and business English in Japan, Turkey, Germany, Spain, and the United States for more than 15 years.