OTTAWA, July 18, 2015 /CNW/ - The Canadian Teachers' Federation (CTF) honored today three educational professionals with a Public Education Advocacy Award, an Outstanding Aboriginal Educator Award and a Special Recognition Award at their 2015 Annual General Meeting.
"This year's recipients demonstrate the kind of dedication to their work that has the power to change the lives of Canadian teachers and students," said CTF President Heather Smith.
"It is our pleasure to honour their devotion to their profession and their communities."
The Public Education Advocacy Award winner is Helen Kennedy. Kennedy is the executive director of Egale Canada, the country's only national charity promoting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans (LGBT) human rights. The first woman to direct the organisation, she had a 22 year career in politics before taking the helm at Egale. Kennedy also created Canada's first LGBTQ youth crisis intervention centre. Additionally she is the Co-Secretary General of the International Lesbian, Gay, Trans and Intersex Association.
This year's Outstanding Aboriginal Educator Award is going to Belinda Daniels, a secondary teacher in Saskatoon who has taught Cree, Native Studies and history. A driven educator, Daniels has been a Teacher Consultant for the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Education Unit of the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools and helped to write the curriculum for Core Cree programming. She is also the founder and Director of Nehiyawak Language Camp/Workshop, a summer program that teaches the Cree language and traditional Cree practices to children.
The winner of the Special Recognition Award, Edward Hancock, is also invested in education advocacy. Hancock was the executive director of the NLTA from 2001 to 2013. He served as the Association's chief negotiator during contract negotiations and was involved with teacher pensions and group insurance. As executive director he advised the provincial executive on programs, policies and strategic issues and directed the operations of the NLTA staff, as well as defending teachers' rights and representing the NLTA at conferences and on numerous boards.
The award recipients were nominated by their teacher Member organization before being chosen as the winners.
The Canadian Teachers' Federation is an alliance of nearly 200,000 elementary and secondary educators from 16 organizations (14 Members, one affiliate member and one Associate Member across Canada). CTF is also a member of Education International, a global alliance of educators. Follow CTF on Twitter: @CanTeachersFed and @EnseigneCanada.
SOURCE Canadian Teachers' Federation
Spokesperson: Heather Smith, CTF President; Media Contact: Francine Filion, Director of Communications, 613-688-4314 (office) or 613-899-4247 (cell)
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