The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association Awards Program strives to recognize some of the outstanding contributions made by individuals across Ontario to our educational system. While it is impossible to honour all those special people who make a difference, the recipients of these awards represent the many people who work behind the scenes and make our schools and educational system better.

The OPSBA awards honour dedicated people who demonstrated their own commitment to public education and showed us the way. We congratulate the recipients of these awards.

2024 OPSBA Awards

Know an amazing trustee, teacher, education worker, student or community member who deserves to be recognized for making a difference in their local school or community?

The nomination deadline for 2024 was April 5, 2024, at 4:30 p.m.

Note: The nomination deadline for the 2024 Bernardine Yackman Memorial Award, and only this award, was June 7, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. 

Online Nomination Form

Jack A. MacDonald Award of Merit

The recipient of this student award is selected on the basis of a sound academic record throughout their career, accompanied by outstanding community service and leadership. The 2024 Award of Merit was presented to Ailia Syeda, Frontenac Secondary School, Limestone DSB.

A Certificate of Recognition was awarded to the following students:

• Grace de Varennes, Sydenham High School, Limestone DSB
• Ella Rickard, Napanee District Secondary School, Limestone DSB

OPSBA Award of Excellence and Achievement Award

These awards are presented by local boards to volunteers for outstanding, exemplary and/or unique contributions to the overall well-being of the school or community through in-school, board-wide, extra-curricular and/or volunteer activity.

The 2024 Award of Excellence was presented to Moffat Mankuto, Executive Director of the Regional Multicultural Youth Council, Lakehead DSB.

OPSBA 2024 Achievement Awards were presented to the following individuals:

• Michele Gordon, Durham DSB
• Andrew Gibson, Derek Doucet, and Jennifer Robertson, Kawartha Pine Ridge DSB
• Jason Pilot, Rebecca Cross, Moffat Mankuto, and Destiny Linklater, Lakehead DSB
• Deb Katyal, Gloria Wen, Shehla Kerim, and Gillian Cooper, Ottawa-Carleton DSB
• Daniel Park and Vickram Bachan, Toronto DSB
• Krista Patterson and Jennifer Eason, Trillium Lakelands DSB
• Laura Gonzalez, Zeinab Jradi, Andi McKillop, and Pierce Casey, Thames Valley DSB

Bernardine Yackman Memorial Award

The Bernardine Yackman Memorial Award honours a trustee who has served a Northern Ontario public school board. Nominations are reviewed at the end of June and presented at the Northern Region Meeting and Program in October. Judging for the award takes place in September. The 2022 recipients were Jay Aspin, Near North DSB retired trustee, and Raymond Roy, Rainy River DSB retired trustee.

President’s Award

The President’s Award recognizes persons with 25 years of trustee service in public education. There were no 2024 recipients.

Dr. Harry Paikin Memorial Award

This award is given to an active or retired public school trustee for outstanding service as a public school trustee. The 2024 recipient was Trustee Arlene Morell, Thames Valley DSB.

Fred L. Bartlett Memorial Award

The Fred L. Bartlett Memorial Award is given to an active or retired member of the teaching profession for outstanding contribution to education in Ontario. This may consist of constructive participation in education affairs over a number of years or for work on some recent and specific project which has had provincial impact. The 2024 recipient was Shaun Maddock, Special Education Consultant, Grandview School Authority.

Additional Information

• Guidelines for Awards Jurying
• Nominations Submission Guidelines and Nomination Form
• Achievement Award/Award of Excellence
• Bernardine Yackman Memorial Award
• Dr. Harry Paikin Award of Merit
• Fred L. Bartlett Memorial Award
• Jack A. MacDonald Award of Merit
• President’s Award

For further information, contact inquiry@opsba.org.