2020 – 2021

Literary Arts Fellowship from the Alabama State Council on the Arts (to create Nobody’s Home)

2019 – 2020

Education grant from the Alabama Bicentennial Committee (to continue and enhance the oral history project in Newtown community)

2018 – 2019

Honorable Mention education grant from the Alabama Bicentennial Committee (for oral history project in Newtown community)

2017 – 2018

Arts in Education grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts (for Alabama-focused collaboration with Strings and Creative Writing students)

2015

Community Legacy Project grant from the Center for Arts Education at Boston Arts Academy

2012

Distinguished Alumnus in the Liberal Arts department at Auburn University at Montgomery

2009 – 2010

Arts Teacher Fellowship from the Surdna Foundation (later called the National Artist Teacher Fellowship)

Writer-in-Service Residency from the Lillian E. Smith Center

Secondary Education Teacher of the Year from the Alabama PTA

Hands bronzed for the “Hands Uplifted for Freedom and Justice” permanent exhibit at the Troy University Rosa Parks Library and Museum

2007 – 2008

Gannett Foundation grant recipient (for newsprung online media project)

2006 – 2007

Secondary Education Teacher of the Year for  the Montgomery County Board of Education

Secondary Education Teacher of the Year for the Montgomery County Council of PTAs

Teaching Tolerance grant from the Southern Poverty Law Center (for Our Hope)

2004 – 2005

Teaching Tolerance grant from the Southern Poverty Law Center (for Taking the Time: Young Writers and Old Stories)

Gannett Foundation grant (for Taking the Time: Young Writers and Old Stories)