Secretary Cardona Congratulates 2024 President’s Education Awards Program Recipients

Elementary, middle and high school graduates across all U.S. states, outlying areas, and military bases selected by principals for academic achievement recognition

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona today congratulated the 2024 President’s Education Awards Program
(PEAP) recipients, recognizing hundreds of thousands of elementary, middle, and high school graduates from public and private schools across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Outlying Areas, and American military bases abroad on their educational accomplishments.

Since moving all PEAP materials to digital download in 2022, there has been continual increase in participation of schools across the nation sharing in this award at their promotion and graduation ceremonies.

This year, from the opening of the program in March through close-out in the month of June, there have been more than 158,000 unique downloads of 2024 PEAP materials, including the Excellence and Achievement certificates and letters from the President and the Secretary.

“On behalf of President Biden, the Biden-Harris Administration, and our entire U.S. Department of Education team, I am thrilled to congratulate the recipients of our 2024 President’s Education Award,” Secretary Cardona said. “Our nation’s future is made brighter by these remarkable young people, each of whom have demonstrated a love of learning, spirit of determination, and strength of character that inspires us all. If education is the springboard to the American dream, then these students are well on their way to achieving great things.”

PEAP was founded in 1983. Every year since then, the program has provided schools with the opportunity to recognize graduating students who meet high standards of academic excellence and those who have given their best effort, often overcoming obstacles to their learning.

Each year, eligible graduating K-12 students are selected by their school principals for recognition in one of two categories:

The President’s Award for Educational Excellence – recognizes academic success in the classroom. To be eligible, students must meet requirements, including grade point average or other school-set criteria and choice of state tests or teacher recommendations.
The President’s Award for Educational Achievement –recognizes students who show outstanding educational growth, improvement, commitment, or intellectual development in their academic subjects but do not meet the criteria for the Educational Excellence Award. Its purpose is to encourage and reward students who give their best effort, often in the face of obstacles. Criteria for this award are developed at each school.

Individual recognition is bestowed by the President and the U.S. Secretary of Education, in partnership with the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. The award includes a congratulatory letter and a certificate signed by the President, the Secretary, and the school principal.

Unlike other awards programs, the principal has sole discretion in choosing recipients based on eligibility. There is no limit on the number of awards that can be downloaded and printed, as long as students meet the criteria for each award set by the school.

In addition to the 2024 PEAP materials, PEAP-related products, such as folders, pins, and graduation cords, remain available to order from the National Association of Elementary School Principals at https://www.services-naesp.org/peap/t-main.aspx.