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2024 High School / CEGEP Teaching Award Winners

The CAP and its award partners - Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, TRIUMF, and the Institute of Particle Physics - are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024 CAP High School/CEGEP Teaching Awards. Recipients will be presented with their awards at their school, the CAP Congress, or some other mutually-agreed upon event, as coordinated with the recipients.

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The 2023 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (Atlantic) is awarded to

Amanda Craig, Gonzaga High School, in recognition of her significant positive impact on students through cultivating supportive class communities and providing opportunities for student enrichment. Amanda has built collaborations with Memorial University of Newfoundland, worked to improve provincial curricula, and currently teaches the only AP Physics course in the province.


"My ongoing love of physics has shown me how important it is to think critically and solve complex problems. I am humbled to be recognized by the Canadian Association of Physicists and grateful to the individuals who have nominated me and helped me throughout my career. As a result of this award, I reflect on the personal connections I have made over the years by way of a subject I am passionate about. I feel fortunate that I have the continued opportunity to share my enthusiasm for physics with my students."

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The 2022 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (Atlantic) is awarded to

April Butler, West Kings District High School, in recognition of her passion and dedication in teaching physics, evidenced through her students-first approach and wide-ranging involvement in school life and professional development. April’s enthusiasm for physics permeates her classroom practice. Beyond the classroom, she has supported students’ engagement in events such as the brain wars, theme park physics, Lego robotics, science fairs, and physics olympics. Additionally, she shares her professional expertise by mentoring trainee teachers and has been involved in the development of provincial curricula and examinations.


"I feel incredibly honoured to be recognized by such a prestigious organization as the Canadian Association of Physicists. The nomination led me to reflect on the incredible experiences and opportunities that I have had in physics, both through teaching and learning. A heartfelt thank you to those who have contributed and inspired me!"

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The 2021 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (Atlantic) is awarded to

Shane MacLeod, Dartmouth High School, in recognition of to recognize his passion and dedication to teaching physics and his development of physics teaching and learning resources.


"I have been incredibly fortunate to have worked with several previous winners of the award and am honoured to be included with such an amazing group of educators. I am also humbled to know that both colleagues and students, past and present, felt that I should be considered for this award."

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The 2018 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (Atlantic) was not awarded this year.

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The 2017 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (Atlantic) is awarded to

Kevin Farrell, Cobequid Educational Centre, in recognition of for his mentoring skills that have led his students to continually succeed at the top levels in physics competitions and that have helped so many new science and physics teachers in his region do their jobs much better.


"It is a great honour to be recognized by the Canadian Association of Physicists as one of the 2017 teaching award winners. I thank the CAP, the award sponsors, and those who nominated me for this prestigious award. I share this award with my colleagues at the elementary and junior high level who instill a love of science in my students long before I have the pleasure to teach them."

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The 2016 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (Atlantic) is awarded to

Steve Greer, Charles P. Allen High School, in recognition of for his superior ability to bring together the three essential aspects of good teaching: content knowledge, pedagogy and student relationships, and to provide leadership for the Perimeter Institute's Teacher's Network in Atlantic Canada.


"It’s truly humbling to have CAP recognize my efforts. I’m simply a teacher trying to inspire students to wonder about the universe and help them find their passion. It’s refreshing and motivating to know that there’s a community of professional physicists supporting teachers. I appreciate and welcome this wonderful support."

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The 2015 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (Atlantic) was not awarded this year.


"It’s truly humbling to have CAP recognize my efforts. I’m simply a teacher trying to inspire students to wonder about the universe and help them find their passion. It’s refreshing and motivating to know that there’s a community of professional physicists supporting teachers. I appreciate and welcome this wonderful support."

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The 2014 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (Atlantic) is awarded to

Stephanie Sajatovich, Armbrae Academy, in recognition of for her innovative use of technology in the classroom and her cutting-edge teaching methods, which have resulted in the highest enrolment in physics in her school's history.


"It is an honour to have been nominated and surreal to have won this award. I love teaching Physics and I work hard to share that enthusiasm with my students. It’s the highest compliment to be recognized in this way."

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The 2013 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (Atlantic) is awarded to

Jason Jennings, Sackville High School, in recognition of for his excellence in teaching, with a focus on bringing more modern physics – along with more student-centered learning approaches – into his own high school classroom, and others around Nova Scotia and Canada. Along with continuously seeking out enrichment opportunities for his own students through field-trips to nearby Saint Mary's University to view the observatory and conduct a radioactivity lab, Jason Jennings has capitalized on his own participation in Perimeter Institute’s Einstein Plus summer workshops to become a workshop facilitator himself, and a teacher-workshop organizer in the Halifax region. He remains committed to improving his own educational background while teaching his students with a dedicated understanding of engagement techniques founded in Physics Education Research.


"Receiving the CAP High School Physics Teaching Award not only validates years of perfecting my pedagogy and content knowledge for increased student learning of physics, but it also highlights the importance of physics education in society today. The educational grant will allow me to purchase necessary resources for my school’s physics lab that will allow increased hands-on student activities."

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The 2012 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (Atlantic) is awarded to

Brendan Kelly, Kinkora Regional High School


"I am honoured to receive this teaching award from CAP and its affiliated sponsors. To be selected from a large group of very talented, dedicated Physics teachers is indeed very humbling. A special thank you to all who helped make it possible"

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The 2011 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (Atlantic) is awarded to

Ian Fogarty, Riverview High School (Riverview, NB), in recognition of his novel work in using technology to advance learning in physics. Ian is one of Canada's most innovative high school physics teachers. He is at the forefront of integrating technology and experiential learning. From getting students to employ stop-frame analysis of action movies to figure out whether or not the scenes could actually occur, to racing remote-controlled vehicles to understand acceleration, wind resistance, and centre-of-gravity, Ian Fogarty continually seeks new ways to engage a broader range of students. The CAP is proud to recognize Ian for his outstanding contributions.


"There are so many great teachers of physics, I feel quite honored and privileged to be in their company. I stand on the shoulders of giants. The students who come to me are ready to learn and this is a credit to the hard work from all their previous teachers, coaches and families. I get to explore new pedagogies, labs and activities because I have great kids at a great school in a great district."

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The 2010 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (Atlantic) is awarded to

Robyn McKenzie, Yarmouth Consolidated Memorial High School (Yarmouth, NS), in recognition of for her ongoing excellence in teaching physics. A disproportionate number of physics graduate students, at places like MIT and Oxford, come from Yarmouth, NS. Those students identify a caring, passionate and effective high school physics teacher, Ms. Robyn McKenzie, as playing a pivotal role in their academic careers. As one former student wrote "She is nothing less than amazing". Colleagues mention her spirit and quiet leadership, and her constant quest to help others. Her principal wrote "She demands the best from her students, but she gives the best in return." Robyn has given countless weekend and night time hours to mentoring the school's award winning robotics teams. Even the Nova Scotia legislature cited her for "inspiring her students". It is certainly fitting that Robyn McKenzie is the first recipient of the CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics from the Atlantic Region.

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