Making a Difference in Our Schools

I first met Ron Canuel when Reader’s Digest named him 2008’s Hero in Education. As director general of the Eastern Townships School Board in Quebec, he was an architect of Canada’s first system- wide one-to-one laptop deployment for students. The results of the program were astounding: absenteeism declined by 26 per cent, behavioural problems by 34 per cent.

I was so pleased when our paths crossed again. In 2014, the Reader’s Digest Foundation of Canada decided to launch a new awards program to celebrate and promote teachers who are improving our education system in meaningful ways. The foundation was looking for a partner to help us develop this initiative, and one of our researchers drew up a list of organizations to consider. At the top was the Canadian Education Association (CEA), which seeks to transform our education system by supporting innovations and fostering dialogue among its stakeholders. Ron is now its president.

It didn’t take long to convince Ron to collaborate on the new Canadian Innovators in Education Awards. Given out to educators who can demonstrate  their work’s lasting impact, the first prize is a sizable $25,000. The second and third  prizes are $10,000 and $5,000, respectively.Winners will be chosen by a jury of CEA and Reader’s Digest representatives and announced in November. For details, visit our website at rd.ca/education.

Please help us make this program successful by spread- ing the word and encouraging suitable candidates to ap-ply. Together we can maintain our school system as one of the best in the world.

This content was originally published in the May 2015 edition of Reader’s Digest Magazine and republished with permission from Reader’s Digest Canada.

Meet the Expert(s)

Robert Goyette

Robert Goyette is the Vice-President and Editor-in-Chief of Reader's Digest Canada. 

Robert Goyette est le vice-président et rédacteur en chef de Sélection Reader's Digest. 

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