ESP Day Toolkit

Education Support Professionals (ESP) Day is Wednesday, November 19, 2025! This American Education Week, we are coming together to celebrate the incredible members of our school family who continue to keep students safe, healthy, and ready to learn every day.

How to use this toolkit

This toolkit contains ideas for recognizing and celebrating Education Support Professionals.
In this toolkit, you will find a guide to setting up ESP Day events, along with many other ways to recognize ESPs and honor what they want and deserve—not just on ESP Day, but all year long.
Use or update sample social media content, email copy, and proclamation text to celebrate the vital Education Support Professionals who ensure our children are safe, healthy, and ready to learn every day.

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What is Education Support Professionals Day?

Students need more than backpacks and rulers to be successful—it takes the hard work and dedication of all the educators working in our schools, including Education Support Professionals (ESP). Whether it’s a cafeteria worker who prepares hundreds of nourishing meals or a bus driver who safely navigates our neighborhoods, all educators deserve a seat at the table and a voice to ensure their students can succeed and reach their full potential.

On the third day of American Education Week, November 19, 2025, we celebrate the excellence of the ESPs who make student success possible. Whether you are a teacher, a student, a parent, an elected leader, or an ally, join us in celebrating ESP Day in your communities! A powerful way to show your appreciation is by hosting an “Educator for a Day” event, where you can shadow an ESP and see firsthand the hard work and dedication that goes into educating, nurturing, and protecting students.

Ways to Recognize and Celebrate ESPs

We surveyed ESP members and asked them what would make them feel appreciated on ESP Day. Below is a list of ideas based on these responses and their five love languages.

🗣️ 1. Words of Affirmation

Encourage teachers, students, school leaders, and parents to share personalized messages or thank you cards to ESPs in their schools and across their district
Thank the ESPs in your schools through a video, during morning announcements, or at pep rallies
Give public recognition through announcements or signage
Acknowledge specific contributions and years of service
Host celebration events:
- Educators for a day: shadow an ESP for a day and share your experience on social media
- Dance parties, team outings, and gala events
- Set up group activities that build camaraderie among ESPs, teachers, parents, and/or community members
- Host a special recognition luncheon, breakfast, dinner, etc.

🎁 2. Gifts

Send gift cards (especially for restaurants or coffee)
Give personalized items like mugs, bags, lanyards, or t-shirts
Give certificates or awards
Lay out coffee, donuts, snack trays, etc. in the break room
Provide food trucks or catered meals

💵 3. Financial Compensation

Advocate for raises, bonuses, stipends, and a living wage for all ESPs
Learn the state of ESP pay and read NEA’s ESP Earnings Report to get a breakdown of ESP earnings for K-12 and higher education
Pledge your support for the NEA ESP Bill of Rights at www.nea.org/espbillofrights to advocate for better pay, benefits, and working conditions, and share this action with others

🧘 4. Wellness Time

Advocate for paid time off or discretionary hours for ESPs on ESP Day
Provide wellness opportunities, like massages or meditation classes
Gather feedback from ESPs to understand workload challenges and work collaboratively on providing workload-balancing strategies and professional development on social-emotional skills
Encourage and provide mindfulness breaks during the workday

📣 5. Acts of Advocacy

Join the NEA ESP Bill of Rights movement
- Pledge your support for the NEA ESP Bill of Rights
- Organize statewide initiatives to educate the public about ESP roles and contributions, and advocate for fair pay, good benefits, better working conditions, and more for all ESPs
Include and invest in ESPs
- Ensure ESPs are represented in all decision-making, especially union and district-level discussions (“a seat at the table”)
- Invest in meaningful professional development opportunities, and share available opportunities with ESPs
Engage elected leaders
- Urge your members of Congress to protect and strengthen the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Email members of Congress and urge them to co-sponsor the ESP and School Support Staff Family Leave Act
- Ask members of Congress to cosponsor the Improving Training for School Food Service Workers Act
- Urge your members of Congress to cosponsor the Paraprofessionals and Education Support Staff Bill of Rights
- Attend school board meetings and other community events to advocate for ESPs
- Ask an elected official to make an official proclamation
- Ask local leaders to shadow an ESP for a day and invite the media to follow along
Write an Op-ed or Letter to the Editor to lift the stories of ESPs. Topic ideas:
- How ESPs impact our school communities
- What challenges ESPs are facing
- Why ESPs deserve better pay, benefits, training, and other necessary supports to ensure safe and healthy working conditions

Educator for a Day

Educator for a Day is a program that allows individuals from the community to experience an entire school day shadowing a school employee. The "guest educator" performs duties such as teaching class, performing lunch and corridor duty, supervising recess, serving meals in the cafeteria, and helping office staff with administrative tasks, among other duties. This online toolkit will give you all the guidance you need to launch an Educator for a Day program in your community on ESP Day and during American Education Week.

View the Educator for a Day Toolkit »

Proclamation

A proclamation is a way to declare an official public announcement. Elected officials make proclamations to commend people or announce upcoming special events. Decide on which of your elected officials you would like to ask to sponsor a proclamation for ESP Day.

They can be any of the following:

Federal or state representative
Federal or state senator
Governor
Mayor
City Council member
School Board member

Send your elected officials a letter requesting a proclamation for National ESP Day, informing them what ESPs do for public education and the children of your community, and stating what you would like the proclamation to say.

View a Sample Proclamation »

Social Media

Share stories and advocate for ESPs. Here are some sample posts for your channels. Remember to use #WeLoveOurESPs and #AEW2025.

This Education Support Professionals Day, celebrate the crucial role of school support staff by sharing their stories with your community! #WeLoveOurESPs #AEW2025
Happy ESP Day! Show the school support staff in your life how much they mean to you and the students they serve—thank them, listen to them, and amplify their great work! #WeLoveOurESPs
It’s ESP Day! Thank you to all the education support professionals who keep our schools running smoothly ❤️ #WeLoveOurESPs #AEW2025

Sharable Graphics

Share our ESP Day graphics on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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ESP Day Toolkit

How to use this toolkit

What is Education Support Professionals Day?

Ways to Recognize and Celebrate ESPs

Educator for a Day

Proclamation

Social Media

Sharable Graphics

References

Great public schools for every student

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ESP Day Toolkit

How to use this toolkit

What is Education Support Professionals Day?

Ways to Recognize and Celebrate ESPs

Educator for a Day

Proclamation

Social Media

Sharable Graphics

References

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