2023 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 2023 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.
HS-BC-YK
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Edward Csuka , Coquitlam School District ,
in recognition of his passionate teaching of physics, in addition to his leadership of the Power of Ideas Exhibit and his dedication in seeking funding to launch and support a new STEAM program. Edward also provides extra-curricular opportunities for learners to develop their ideas and passions in the sciences through a robotics club, science fairs, and an innovation society, where students develop their ideas into designs and 3D-printed objects.
"I am honoured to advocate, communicate, and celebrate physics alongside the Canadian Association of Physicists and grateful to Perimeter Institute, administrators, colleagues, students, parents, and John Mohr for their letters of support. This couldn’t have happened without my loving family, exceptional friends and especially my brilliant spouse, Jennifer. Thank you!" view the press release
HS-BC-YK
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Kelvin Dueck , Pitt Meadows Secondary School ,
in recognition of to recognize his passion and dedication to teaching physics and making physics accessible to all through his physics YouTube videos.
"Receiving this award allows me to give credit to all the outstanding teachers who have mentored me over the years and to thank all my phenomenal students who have inspired me and brought me joy every day in my classroom." view the press release
HS-BC-YK
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Joseph Muise , St. Thomas More Collegiate ,
in recognition of for his involvement in student-centric activities both in and out of the classroom that engage students in modern physics in the real world and his mentoring of other teachers in the wider physics community for professional development activities.
"I am honoured to receive this award from CAP, and to have been selected from the great community of physics educators in this part of Canada. I am feeling lucky to work in a school where my excitement for physics is encouraged, and I am grateful for the opportunity to share that passion with my students." view the press release
HS-BC-YK
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Louay El Halabi , Semiahmoo Secondary School ,
in recognition of for his innovative demonstrations and experiments within his school, for his student mentoring, and for his outreach efforts across the province.
"It is an honour and humbling to be recognized for something I love to do. I am grateful to the people who nominated me and I am fortunate to be a part of a great team of Physics educators as well as incredible students that help drive my passion for Physics and learning every day." view the press release
HS-BC-YK
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Giselle Lawrence , Brentwood College School ,
in recognition of for her creative use of visuals and technology to teach students the basics of physics, her work in mentoring physics teachers, and her development work in bringing science to Peru.
"Amazing things happen in physics classrooms all over British Columbia and the Yukon, so it is a great honour for me to be the recipient of this prestigious award for this part of Canada. This recognition will inspire me to continue trying to instill the love for physics in my students. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all colleagues and students that nominated me for this award, my current and former students for being a great source of inspiration, all my colleagues from whom I don’t cease to learn about teaching and learning, and my dear family for their continuous support." view the press release
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HS-BC-YK
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Favian Yee , North Delta Secondary School ,
in recognition of for his excellence in teaching and his leadership in both the organization of Science Fairs and his encouragement of student participation in the Kwantlen Science Challenge.
"I would like to thank all the individuals involved in choosing me as the recipient of this prestigious award for the BC/Yukon Region. I would also like to thank all the affiliated sponsors for providing the means to offer this award. It is such an honour to be selected among the many other nominations submitted. I am thankful to be working with such a fabulous faculty and an amazing student body." view the press release
HS-BC-YK
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James Strachan , Kelowna Secondary School ,
in recognition of for his ability to motivate students to levels of high academic achievement using innovative and instructional strategies. With his work in Science Teachers LSA, his encouragement of students in the "Art of Physics" contest, and his mentoring of students in the Young Innovator Scholarship competition, his educational leadership in and out of the classroom is exemplary.
"Across Canada physics educators strive to build both knowledge of, and passion for, physics in our students. To be recognized among my peers, and to be in the company of the dedicated educators who have previously been recipients of the CAP High School Teaching Award is a great honour." view the press release
HS-BC-YK
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Susan Hunter-Jivung , Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary School ,
in recognition of for her expertise in encouraging students to attain the highest standards in physics, which have resulted in her students receiving a broad range of local and national awards in physics.
"Winning this award is a lovely complement from my colleagues and students. I am very appreciative of people taking time to say a few kind words. Being active in the Physics teaching community really helps me to see the forest through the trees. I greatly treasure the BCAPT and the network of amazing academic opportunities presented to my students through motivated teachers and professors. Here in BC we work together to run events for physics students, of all ages, to go beyond the curriculum in exams and challenges to create excellence in physics and enthusiasm for our subject. This award is a commendation of our whole team." view the press release
HS-BC-YK
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Bruce Gowe , Penticton Secondary School ,
in recognition of for his inspiration to his students, his commitment to make his classroom an exciting place and his impact on the current generation of young physics students at Penticton High. Under Bruce's leadership, the fraction of students taking Physics has become anomalously high, and the Penticton High School Physics Olympics Team has placed first in BC more often than any other team in the past two decades. Among the first generation of high school teachers to incorporate “clickers”, he makes use of technologies in the classroom and laboratory to engage students in real-life physics.
"Receiving this award on the recommendation of fellow physicists for the teaching of a subject I love to eager students is truly an honour. It is humbling to be chosen to represent the Physics teachers of Canada who enjoy a passion for teaching Physics both in and outside of the classroom." view the press release
HS-BC-YK
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Mike Hengeveld , Templeton Secondary School ,
in recognition of for his teaching excellence in physics, particularly at the junior level. He initiated and still organizers the Junior Physics and Engineering Competition (JPEC), a physics contest for students in grades 8-10. By acting on a need he saw for a physics outreach event that engaged younger high school students, he has encouraged many young people to continue studying physics in high school on to the university level..
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Peter Vogel , Notre Dame Regional Secondary School (Vancouver, BC) ,
in recognition of his mastery at helping students relate the abstract concepts of physics to the world around them. Described by colleagues as a pontifex -- or bridge-builder -- Peter Vogel is a master at connecting the concepts of theoretical physics with the everyday world. For more than 3 decades he has organized a contest in which student must apply their knowledge of physics to build a bridge made of 100 grams of balsa wood that will withstand a maximal load. The current record is an astonishing 219.5 kg, held by Grade 12 student Gino Circo. Adding to this his contributions to provincial examination committees, editing of a physics newsletter, and presentations at numerous conferences on science education, the CAP is delighted to recognize Peter with this award.
"Thank you for an amazing opportunity. I anticipate using some of the CAP award to enhance our 30+ year-old annual Physics Balsa Bridge Building Contest and its associated web presence (www.balsabridge.com). Just prior to starting my career, a professor instrumental in the development of TRIUMF took his class deep inside that facility just before it was commissioned and went into full operation. To now receive a national award sponsored in part by that same organization brings my physics teaching full circle." view the press release
HS-BC-YK
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Philip Freeman , Richmond Secondary School (Richmond, BC) ,
in recognition of for his efforts over the course of his twenty years as a high school physics teacher. Mr Freeman has taught a wide variety of physics math and philosophy courses and inspired thousands of students with his curiosity about the natural world and his passion for the paradigms of physics. His students have excelled in contests, in post-secondary studies and in their careers and many recognize Mr Freeman as a teacher that sowed seeds of curiosity and cultivated habits of inquiry that ultimately contributed significantly to their development as thinkers, professionals and citizens. A long-time member of the BC Association of Physics Teachers, Mr Freeman is as committed to communicating the beauty of physics to his peers as he is to his students. He is a frequent workshop presentater, a writer/editor with the TRIUMF Outreach video series and has been a mentor for many new teachers over the course of his career. The CAP would like to acknowledge his significant contributions to physics education in British Columbia by presenting Mr Freeman with the first ever CAP High school Physics Teacher Award for the BC region.
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