Those Social Studies educators who have traveled to Germany with TOP as study tour participants are referred to as “TOP-Fellows”. From 2005 onward, the Transatlantic Outreach Program will annually award the title “TOP-Fellow of the Year” to the one educator from the entire TOP-Fellow network who satisfies the following criteria:
- Quality and quantity of in-service training workshops led.
- Quality of written unit(s) of learning.
- Personal qualities, such as enthusiasm for teaching about modern Germany, leadership displayed during the study tour, and a desire to collaborate with other educators to strengthen German-American relations in the Social Studies classroom and beyond.
The “TOP-Fellow of the Year” will be awarded the following:
- An airplane ticket (or mileage reimbursement), hotel room, and associated registration costs to the annual National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) conference
- A reception during the conference in her/his honor
- A plaque to be presented during the reception
- A check in the amount of $500.00 USD
- A letter informing the recipient’s school principal and/or school district superintendent of the award
- Consideration to be selected as a study tour group leader
The TOP Fellow of the Year is determined by the Board of Overseers based on nominations made by TOP Staff & Experts.
| TOP Fellows of the Year | Year Selected |
| James Feldman (St. Clair Shores, MI) | 2011 |
| Paul Dickler (Dodgeville, WI) |
2010 |
| Scott Noet (Faribault, MN) |
2009 |
| Daniel W. Dunne (Rochester, NY) |
2008 |
| Linda Cotter (Columbus, OH) | 2007 |
| Henry Rehn (Sterling Heights, MI) | 2006 |
| G. Dale Greenawald (Boulder, CO) | 2005 |
