2023 High School / CEGEP Teaching Award Winners

The 2022 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (British Columbia and Yukon) is awarded to

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.

The 2021 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (British Columbia and Yukon) is awarded to

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.

The 2020 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (British Columbia and Yukon) is awarded to

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.

The 2019 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (British Columbia and Yukon) is awarded to

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.

The 2018 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (British Columbia and Yukon) is awarded to

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.

The 2023 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (British Columbia and Yukon) was not awarded this year.

The 2016 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (British Columbia and Yukon) is awarded to

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.

The 2015 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (British Columbia and Yukon) is awarded to

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.

The 2014 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (British Columbia and Yukon) is awarded to

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.

The 2013 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (British Columbia and Yukon) is awarded to

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.

The 2012 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (British Columbia and Yukon) is awarded to

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..

The 2011 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (British Columbia and Yukon) is awarded to

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.

The 2010 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (British Columbia and Yukon) is awarded to

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.