(Photo supplied by Red Deer Public Schools)

By rdnewsNOW staff

Prestigious Honour

Red Deer teaching duo honoured with Prime Minister’s Award

Oct 9, 2020 | 2:36 PM

A pair of Red Deer teachers have been recognized as among 71 of the country’s top educators in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Colin Christensen and Krista McLean are Grade 5 teachers at Don Campbell Elementary School, and on World Teachers Day Oct. 5, were honoured with the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence in STEM (Certificate of Achievement).

Christensen and McLean lead school-wide support for STEM at Don Campbell Elementary and are said to focus on enhancing collaboration among students and teachers at all levels.

Grade 5s are said to work together to build an arcade game that incorporates aspects of the curriculum, such as explorers, and help younger students understand and use technology.

The educating duo also coaches their fellow teachers in their school and elsewhere in the district in the use of new technologies, such as virtual reality hardware.

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Other initiatives achieved by Christensen and McLean include coordinating the school’s Flex program, creating Breakout Box challenges, and introducing the HeartMath program to improve student’s mental health.

The Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence have honoured exceptional elementary and secondary school teachers in all disciplines since 1994, with over 1,600 teachers honoured to date.

The Prime Minister’s Awards are offered at the national (Certificate of Excellence) and regional (Certificate of Achievement) levels and carry cash prizes of $5,000 and $1,000 respectively.

Each recipient receives a letter of congratulations and a certificate signed by the Prime Minister.