Helping the next generation of decision makers understand how to tackle a major international crisis will be just one of the prizes on offer at the Kent Teacher of the Year Awards.

The prestigious annual awards event will not go live to accept nominations until the first week of January, but already organisations are lining up to give their backing of the event.

This week the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent announced it will support a new award category at the event.

And part of the prize for the person named as Kent’s Politics and Citizenship Teacher of the Year will be to reward their school with a simulation exercise where students will take on the role of different United Nation ambassadors to debate and resolve an international conflict.

Professor Richard Whitman, Professor of Politics and International Relations, said: “We are delighted to be supporting these awards for teachers of politics and citizenship. Politics teachers help students develop the skills to understand the major processes of decision making in our societies and teachers of citizenship provide all pupils with the skills to understand and participate in decisions which affect all of our lives.”

Simon Dolby from the KM Charity Team, which stages the annual awards, said: “Citizenship is such an important aspect of education so we are delighted that the Kent Teacher of the Year Awards now has a category to promote good teaching in this field.

“I am very grateful to the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent for their backing.”

A number of other organisations have already announced their support of the awards including, Kent Sport, Southern Educational Leadership Trust, Brachers Law, Three Rs Teacher Recruitment, Social Enterprise Kent, Project Salus, William Giles Chartered Accountants, Kent County Council, Medway Council, Christ Church University and Leeds Castle.

The 2015 Kent Teacher of the Year Awards will be staged at Leeds Castle for the first time. Around 50 school representatives will be honoured at the event including support staff and volunteers.

To be notified when the event is accepting nominations sign up to the KM Link e-newsletter at www.kmcharityteam.co.uk

• Event organisers still need additional sponsors for subjects such as IT, geography and history. Contact Simon Dolby on 07989 164 752 for details.