THE ISPA AWARD 2003

ERIKA VOIGT

ERIKA VOIGT is presented the ISPA Distinguished Service Award for 2003 in recognition of her service to ISPA.

Erika attended her first ISPA colloquium in Stockholm in 1982 and has been a member of ISPA as long as ISPA has been keeping membership records. She has been a quiet yet forceful presence in ISPA ever since. Thanks to Erika’s advocacy, ISPA made interaction groups an integral part of every colloquium, and she has served as an interaction group facilitator many times over the years, She has also organized children’s activities at many colloquia, and, along with others in the ISPA leadership helped author the Colloquium Manual. In addition to her work directly for ISPA, Erika has supported the development of school psychology in countries like China where the profession is only now emerging.

But Erika’s abiding passion and most dedicated work has been on behalf of children’s rights. Toward this end she has been an active member of ISPA’s Children’s Rights Committee. She has also worked on the UNESCO task force for the rights of children in Germany and opened an office for the rights of children in Gottingen, setting an example that has been followed by other German cities. Most recently, Erika was awarded the Order of Merit from the President of the Federal Republic of Germany.

ISPA is proud of Erika’s work and grateful for her many years of dedicated service to our Association. This award is a small token of our deep appreciation for all she has done for ISPA, for school psychology, and for children throughout the world.

Peter Farrell, President, ISPA
Exeter, England, July 2004