The Michele Steele Best of JALT Awards is a program that was started to honor the speakers who make JALT events such valuable experiences. This year's awards are for events and publications from the 2020 calendar year.

Each year, the JALT chapters and SIGs each have the option of naming a speaker (or author of an article) from the previous calendar year as their Best of JALT award recipient. While this award had been around for many years, Michele Steele renewed the award and brought it properly into the limelight in 2010 by creating a ceremony to be held at JALT's annual international conference. Over the years, this Best of JALT Award Reception has grown into the main social event of the conference. At the JALT2020 Conference, the Executive Board of JALT unanimously voted on changing the name of this award to The Michele Steele Best of JALT Award in honor of Michele's inspiring work and devoted love of honoring the JALT members who are being recognized by this award. Sadly, Michele passed away in December 2020 after a long battle with illness, and will be greatly missed at this year's event.

Please join us for the Michele Steele Best of JALT Awards to not only honor the award recipients, but also to raise a glass in remembrance of Michele Steele, a long-time officer and volunteer of JALT.

Is this your first time at JALT, a little nervous, well you are not alone. Please come tonight and meet some of your fellow presenters! Some of us are not as scary as we look (lol)!

Are you all zoomed out? Well, save a little for our post EBM social. You will not regret it!