Public Education Advocacy Award

The Public Education Advocacy Award promotes the concept that public education is an investment in Nova Scotia’s future and recognizes non-teachers who have made major contributions to public education. The purpose is also to focus public attention on public education and to strengthen relationships between public education and other sectors as well as between teachers and educational partners.

It is open to individuals or groups who are not active members of the NSTU; and who have made major contributions to public education at the provincial, national or international levels.

Public Education Advocacy Recipients

Hetty van Gurp (Peaceful Schools International)

2008

Guidebook excerpt

Public Education Advocacy Award

1. Purpose:

To promote the concept that public education is an investment in Nova Scotia’s future and to recognize non-teachers who have made major contributions to public education. The purpose is also to focus public attention on public education and to strengthen relationships between public education and other sectors as well as between members and educational partners.

2. Criteria:

(a) Individuals or groups who are not active members of the NSTU; and

(b) Who have made major contributions to public education at the provincial, national or international levels.

3. Applications:

(a) Candidate(s) can be nominated by any member of the NSTU Provincial Executive by completing the appropriate application form and submitting the form to the President of the NSTU by no later than the last business day of the week before the March Executive Meeting.

(b) Application forms must be completed in detail including the names of three (3) references who can be contacted by the selection committee if needed.

4. Selection Process:

(a) The selection committee shall be the Awards Selection Committee as described under Section 4(a) of the Life Membership Award procedures.

(b) The Public Education Advocacy Award can be given annually but only when a candidate(s) meet(s) all the criteria described in Section 2 above.

(c) The Awards Selection Committee may contact the nominated candidate(s) and/or the references to obtain additional information.

(d) If there are multiple nominations received by the Awards Selection Committee, the Committee shall rank the candidates and make its recommendation to the Provincial Executive by no later than the April meeting of the Provincial Executive.

5. Presentation of the Award:

(a) The Public Education Advocacy Award which consists of a certificate and a gift shall be presented to the nominee(s) by the NSTU President at the Annual Council.

(b) The Teacher shall publish the name of the nominee(s), a picture and a description of why the award was given along with a short biography of the person(s) in an edition of The Teacher following Annual Council. The same or similar information shall be given to the media for release as a news story.

Reference: Provincial Executive: February 2008, April 2008