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Awards & Recognition

Awards & Recognition

The Founders Award

Each year, National Stay Cool Day honors people whose influence helps make sure no child dies of exertional heat stroke. Founders Award honorees receive their certificate in person on Thursday, April 8, 2027, at National Stay Cool Day.

The Founders Award is by invitation only, so there is no nomination form for it.

Honorees to be announced.

Celebrating people in every state

All across the country, people are putting cooling first: schools, teams, coaches, athletic trainers, school nurses, parents and neighbors. We want to thank them out loud. Recognition is open in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Spotlight

Our first spotlight is coming soon. Know someone who deserves it? Nominate them below.

AlabamaBe the first in your state
AlaskaBe the first in your state
ArizonaBe the first in your state
ArkansasBe the first in your state
CaliforniaBe the first in your state
ColoradoBe the first in your state
ConnecticutBe the first in your state
DelawareBe the first in your state
District of ColumbiaBe the first in your state
FloridaBe the first in your state
GeorgiaBe the first in your state
HawaiiBe the first in your state
IdahoBe the first in your state
IllinoisBe the first in your state
IndianaBe the first in your state
IowaBe the first in your state
KansasBe the first in your state
KentuckyBe the first in your state
LouisianaBe the first in your state
MaineBe the first in your state
MarylandBe the first in your state
MassachusettsBe the first in your state
MichiganBe the first in your state
MinnesotaBe the first in your state
MississippiBe the first in your state
MissouriBe the first in your state
MontanaBe the first in your state
NebraskaBe the first in your state
NevadaBe the first in your state
New HampshireBe the first in your state
New JerseyBe the first in your state
New MexicoBe the first in your state
New YorkBe the first in your state
North CarolinaBe the first in your state
North DakotaBe the first in your state
OhioBe the first in your state
OklahomaBe the first in your state
OregonBe the first in your state
PennsylvaniaBe the first in your state
Rhode IslandBe the first in your state
South CarolinaBe the first in your state
South DakotaBe the first in your state
TennesseeBe the first in your state
TexasBe the first in your state
UtahBe the first in your state
VermontBe the first in your state
VirginiaBe the first in your state
WashingtonBe the first in your state
West VirginiaBe the first in your state
WisconsinBe the first in your state
WyomingBe the first in your state

The Cool First School badge

Schools and teams earn the Cool First School badge when they have both of these in place:

  1. A cooling tub ready wherever athletes practice or play
  2. A written heat plan

Badge holders can show it on their website and social media, linked back to National Stay Cool Day.

The badge is a thank-you and a public cheer. It is recognition, not a certification.

Cool First School badge

Cooling tub ready + written heat plan

For kids: team badges

Kids can be heat safety heroes too. These badges are earned by a whole team, class or troop together, never by one child alone.

Cool Kid Heat Safety Hero badge

Cool Kid Heat Safety Hero

Heat Safety Scout badge

Heat Safety Scout

How a group earns it:

  1. Learn the warning signs of heat illness together.
  2. Learn the rule: cool first, transport second.

We recognize the group by its team, class or troop name only. We never post a child’s name or photo online.

Apply or nominate

There are two ways in. You can apply for your own school or team, or nominate someone else who put cooling first.

Every nomination is read by a person before anyone is recognized. Anyone we name must agree first. We never name or show a minor without a parent’s permission, so please don’t include any student’s name or details.

Help a school get there

Some schools need a cooling tub before they can earn the badge. Fund a Tub opens soon.

At least 175 documented exertional heat stroke deaths remind us why cooling first matters. Learn the heat safety basics.

Cool first. Transport second.

Exertional heat stroke is 100% survivable when you cool first. Stay Cool. Stay in the Game.