Chemainus Secondary School’s Janet Ruest has won a Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Julie Payette will present the award in Ottawa’s Rideau Hall on Nov. 22 as part of the official Governor General’s History Awards ceremony.
Inspired by the celebration of the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Ruest encouraged her students to go beyond the textbook to explore lesser-known stories that were meaningful to them.
To begin their Canada 150 — My Story project, students used the Historical Thinking Concepts to develop questions,” according to the Canada’s history website. “After consulting primary and secondary sources, students conducted one interview with someone connected to their topic.
“The project culminated with a public exhibition, where students shared their research in a format of their choice from scrapbooks to digital presentations. Canada 150 — My Story allowed students to synthesize their knowledge in a challenging, creative, and rewarding project, while also contributing their own stories to the broader narrative of Canada’s history.
“During her career, Ruest has shown dedication to her profession and an ongoing desire to improve. The end result has been increased student engagement and success for her learners.”
Ruest is one of eight teachers across Canada to receive the award. Other awards are being given out for excellence in community programming, scholarly research, excellence in museums, popular media, Indigenous arts and stories, the kids’ illustrated history challenge and the Experiences Canada History Award.