This is a photo of the 2026 CPS award winners posing with members of the National Child Passenger Safety Board. The photo was taken at the Lifesavers Conference on Roadway Safety in Baltimore, Md.

CPS Awards

Technician, Instructor and Team of the Year

2027 Nominations

The National Child Passenger Safety Board presents Technician, Instructor and Team of the Year awards each spring at the annual Lifesavers Conference on Roadway Safety.

Eligibility

Anyone can nominate a deserving certified CPS Technician, Instructor or Team, including past National CPS Board members. Self-nominations are encouraged.

  • Individuals are only eligible for their national certification level, either Technician or Instructor. Any individual who is nominated in an incorrect category will be moved to the correct category.
  • Members of a team must be Technicians or Instructors.
  • Current and past Board members are not eligible to win individual awards. The CPS Team of the Year may not include current Board members.
2026 Technician of the Year Danae Hicks received her recognition plaque at the Lifesavers Conference on Roadway Safety in Baltimore, Md.

CPS Technician of the Year

This Technician demonstrates:

  • Extraordinary commitment to CPS programs in his/her local community
  • Supports activities to increase child passenger safety awareness
  • Uses innovative approaches to educate caregivers
  • Educates in a respectful and professional manner
  • Mentors other Technicians in his/her community

Nominate a Tech: Fill out this form.

2026 Instructor of the Year Kathy Vasilopulos received her recognition plaque at the Lifesavers Conference on Roadway Safety in Baltimore, Md.

CPS Instructor of the Year

This Instructor demonstrates:

  • Dedication to CPS programs in his/her community
  • Supports activities to increase child passenger safety awareness at the local, state and/or national levels
  • Uses innovative approaches to educate caregivers
  • Commits to developing and mentoring CPS Technicians by organizing and leading certification courses and serving as a resource for Techs outside the classroom

Nominate an Instructor: Fill out this form.

Paula Bell and Stewart Williams picked up the recognition plaque for 2026 Team of the Year Dell Children's Injury Prevention at the Lifesavers Conference on Roadway Safety in Baltimore, Md.

CPS Team of the Year

This team or organization works in a collective sense to support:

  • Activities that increase child passenger safety education and training at regional, state and/or national levels
  • Innovative approaches to providing caregiver education
  • Development of new Technicians and mentorship of current members of the team

Nominate a Team: Fill out this form.

Nomination Timeline

The deadline to submit nominations is Aug. 31.

Winner Notification

Winners will be announced in March 2027 during the Lifesavers Conference at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, TX.

Questions

Submit questions to: [email protected]. A National CPS Board representative will contact you shortly to answer your questions.