Red Deer Public School Board wins $10,000 Premier's Award for School Board Excellence
Release date: November 24, 1999
The Red Deer Public Board of Education received the Alberta School Boards Association's (ASBA) Premier's Award for School Board Excellence, November 23, beating out 25 school boards vying for the $10,000 award. Premier Ralph Klein presented the new ASBA award, which recognizes the unique contributions of local school boards to public education, at the association's Fall General Meeting.
The Red Deer Public Board of Education won the Premier's Award for initiating the Central Alberta Technology Program, aimed at high school students who are not headed to university. Students follow a curriculum that links academic skills with career plans and participate in work site learning experiences. Graduates who earn the Technology Preparation Credential are eligible for advanced standing at some colleges and technical institutes in Alberta. Six school boards - Red Deer Public, Red Deer Catholic, Chinook's Edge, Wolf Creek, Wild Rose and Clearview - and Olds College and Red Deer College are partners in the endeavour.
The Premier's Award selection team applauded the Red Deer Public project for its collaborative focus and for connecting with a group of kids who are sometimes hard to reach.
"Well done Red Deer Public," said ASBA President Lois Byers. "This project exemplifies the work school boards across the province are doing to respond to the needs of the kids in their communities. Other boards are learning from this example -- a number of boards across the province are working together to launch similar initiatives."
"I'm always pleased to see your schools creating new ways to improve academic achievement while building bridges with parents, the community and other organizations," said Premier Ralph Klein. "To me, the Red Deer Public School District No. 104 - as the first recipient of the Premier's Award for School Board Excellence - is clearly a leader in this field and deserves our recognition."
The Document Company Xerox donated $120,000 to provide a $10,000 award to the outstanding board in each of the four western provinces for the next three years. "Sponsoring this award to recognize the fine work that is occurring within school boards to improve educational delivery is a way to say thank you to them for taking the initiative, but it is also a way to share the knowledge with other boards that are facing similar challenges across the province," said John Dowd, Xerox Vice-President for Western Canada.
For more information contact: Suzanne Lundrigan, ASBA Manager Communications at 1.780.451.7122.
The Alberta School Boards Association serves and represents all Alberta’s public, separate and francophone school boards.
