The Alberta Teachers' Association values effective communications and meaningful relationships between schools and the communities they serve. To recognize excellence in community relations, the Association presents an annual award to a teacher and to a school in the Alberta public education system for planning and executing exemplary school-community public relations programs.
Award Categories
School Award of Excellence: This award is open to qualifying schools that have developed and implemented a school–community relations program or project.
Teacher Award of Excellence: This award is open to teachers in Alberta who have developed and implemented a school–community or classroom–community relations program or project. Teachers may apply for this award themselves or nominate colleagues who they believe are deserving.
Merit Awards: In addition to granting awards of excellence, judges may select up to 10 additional submissions in either category for merit awards.
Judging
Entries are judged by an independent panel of communications professionals who base their decisions on the following criteria: the quality of work, the clarity with which project goals and objectives have been defined, evidence of imagination and innovation, and the extent to which the project has been evaluated or to which an evaluation has been planned.
Awards
The Award of Excellence winner in the school category will receive an engraved plaque and a $300 honourarium.
The Award of Excellence winner in the teacher category will receive an engraved plaque and a $250 honourarium.
ATA locals host award presentations for the winners. The Association publicizes the awards by issuing a news release and by featuring articles about the winners and their projects in the ATA News . In addition, the Association adds a brief description of the winning submissions to
The Winners, a booklet (available from Barnett House) describing projects that have won the awards in the past.
Competition Guidelines
- This competition is open to ATA members currently working in an Alberta public or separate school.
- The ATA reserves the right to reproduce and publish copies of project materials submitted in support of an application.
- To be considered, applications must be received on or before March 2, 2012.
- Schools applying for the school award should designate a project leader to serve as a contact for the purposes of the application.
- Submissions should take into consideration the judging criteria and include (a) a competition entry form, (b) goals and objectives of the program, (c) an outline of the activities undertaken, (d) benefits to students, (e) contributions to the community, (f) samples of support materials and/or relevant photography, and (g) letters of support/commendation.
Applying for a School-Community Public Relations Award
Schools and individuals interested in applying for a School–Community Public Relations Award should download and fill out a Competition Entry Form and submit it, along with supporting documentation, to
Jonathan Teghtmeyer
The Alberta Teachers' Association
11010 142 Street NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5N 2R1
Application Deadline : March 2, 2012
