Xerox donates $120,000 for annual cash award for innovative school board

New ASBA award for school board that launches most innovative program

Release date: September 10, 1999

A school board near you may be in line to receive $10,000 in recognition of their outstanding work on behalf of Alberta students.

The freshly-minted Premier's Award for School Board Excellence will be presented for the first time at the Alberta School Boards Association's Fall General Meeting in November. The award, sponsored by the Document Company Xerox, will be given to the Alberta school board that launches the most innovative program to improve student learning. Premier Ralph Klein will make the inaugural presentation. Nomination deadline is October 15, 1999.

ASBA President Lois Byers hopes the new award will raise the profile of school boards and the work they do. "The work of school boards can often go unnoticed -- this award focuses attention on school boards' efforts to enhance Alberta's children's education."

Xerox provided $120,000 to support the award for the next three years. A school board in each of the four western provinces -- Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba -- will receive a $10,000 award. "Sponsoring this award to recognize the fine work that is occurring within some boards to improve educational delivery is a way to say thank you to them for taking the initiative," said John Dowd, Xerox Vice President for Western Canada, "but it is also a way to 'share the knowledge' with other boards that are facing similar challenges across the province."

A copy of the nomination form for the Premier's Award for School Board Excellence listing the award criteria is posted on the ASBA web page at www.asba.ab.ca . Go to the Purpose page and look in the Awards section.

For more information contact: Lois Byers, ASBA President, at 1.780.632.9685 (cell) or John Dowd, Xerox Vice President Western Canada at 1.403.260.8958.

To arrange an interview with Lois Byers, contact: Suzanne Lundrigan, ASBA Communications, at 1.780.451.7122.

The Alberta School Boards Association serves and represents all Alberta’s public, separate and francophone school boards.