According to a Japanese proverb one day with a great teacher is better than a thousand days of diligent study.
On Oct. 26, 34 education professionals from across British Columbia were celebrated at Government House in Victoria, where each was bestowed the honour of the 2023 Premier Award for Excellence in Education. Among them was Cowichan Valley’s Tanya Leech who is the head secretary at Q’shintul/Mill Bay Nature School who received her award for outstanding support in a school community.
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The Premier’s Awards for Excellence in Education were created in 2018 to recognize the exceptional contributions of all B.C. educators — from teachers to administrators and support staff — that go over and above to bring the best experiences and education while making the lives better for all K-12 students across the province.
This year there were 10 categories with three recipients in each, while the Outstanding Team Collaboration category had multiple recipients per team. Both the public and those working in the education sector were able to nominate the candidate of the choice between April 14, and May 5 of this year.
Each recipient received a $2,000 personal bursary for their own professional learning, as well as a $1,000 contribution to their school for professional learning, and a commemorative trophy — an honour that keeps on giving.
“Every day, you go above and beyond to lift students up,” said Premier David Eby. “To give children the best possible start in life. And to make sure young people always feel seen and understood.”