VICTORIA, B.C. – In recognition of World Teachers’ Day, the Province is looking for nominations for the Premier’s Awards for Excellence in Education.
The awards will honour B.C. teachers, administrators, support staff workers and school district leaders who have made an impact on schools and communities.
“Every day in our province, education professionals put the needs of students first in order to best support their personal growth and academic potential,” said Premier John Horgan. “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers, support staff and administrators have worked tirelessly to ensure students stay safe and healthy during these unprecedented times. These awards allow us to celebrate education professionals who have gone above and beyond in classrooms and schools across the province.”
World Teachers’ Day recognizes the rights, roles and responsibilities of teachers all over the world, and the nomination window for the Premier’s Award for Excellence in Education coincides with the special day on October 5th.
“The Premier’s Awards allow us to celebrate the monumental contributions of teachers, support staff and administrators who inspire B.C. students to achieve their best,” said Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Education. “I encourage everyone to consider nominating an education professional from your school as there is no better time for us to collectively recognize their outstanding commitments to teaching and supporting children and youth.”
There are 10 categories to nominate one person, or a team of education professionals who work in the public, independent or First Nations school systems.
Nominations will be accepted until January 7th, 2022. Any nominations that were submitted for last year’s program that was postponed due to COVID-19 will be included in the 2021 submissions.
The finalists will be announced in February, and the winners will be announced in April at an awards ceremony in Victoria. Winners get a $3,000 taxable personal bursary for professional learning, plus a contribution to their school community valued at $2,000. Each runner-up gets a $1,000 personal bursary and a $1,000 school community contribution.
The Province created the awards program in 2018 to honour the contributions of educators and education professionals who go above and beyond for their students.
