Since 2010, the Northern Lights Public Schools (NLPS) Friends of Education Award has recognized the special contributions made by individuals, community organizations and local businesses to education within the school division.
The NLPS board of trustees is currently accepting nominations for the 2024 edition of the award.
NLPS spokesperson Nicole Garner, says that while the nominations are accepted from all community members, most nominations usually come from NLPS school staff or school councils. The criteria, she added, is that nominees have made a special contribution to education in the divisision, either at multiple schools or for a significant period of time.
“On the nomination form we ask about the service they have provided, the benefit to students, how long they have been doing it, the ways they support the education community, their commitment to students, schools and the community, and anything else the person making the nomination feels is important,” Garner told Lakeland This Week.
Deadline June 17
This year, Garner continued, the deadline for submissions for the 2024 Friends of Education awards is Monday, June 17. Once all the submissions are received, she explained, the NLPS board of trustees reviews the nominations and usually selects three recipients.
Over the past 14 years, these awards have been given to a variety of recipients ranging from corporate sponsors and local businesses across the Lakeland region to community organizations such as the Bonnyville Friendship Centre and Cold Lake FCSS and individuals who have made contributions to the school division.
People in the Lakeland region who received the Friends of Education Award include Don and Tina Luciak, who were longtime volunteers at Glendon School, or Steve Charlton, who volunteered as an auctioneer at one of the NLPS’s schools for many years to help them fundraise, as well as Brayden Torresan. For more than a decade, Torresan has been coaching and volunteering to support the athletics program at J.A Williams (JAWS) High School in Lac La Biche.
On Feb. 28, during the monthly meeting of the NLPS board of trustees, Torresan was presented with a 2023 Friends of Education Award.
“The Board believes it is important to recognize everyone who contributes to educating our students and let them know how much we appreciate them,” she said. “That includes our volunteers, community partners, local businesses and industry who support our schools in so many different ways. There are many opportunities that our students would not have if we did not receive support from our community.”
Nomination forms and details about the award can be found at the Northern Lights Public Schools website.
