First Government of Canada History Awards Launched

Awards will honour outstanding students and teachers interested in Canadian history

WINNIPEG, Feb. 7, 2014 /CNW/ - Minister Glover today launched the 2014 Government of Canada History Awards with students of Collège Béliveau. The Awards consist of up to 225 awards for students in grade 10 and 11, and up to 30 awards for high school teachers.

To be eligible for an award, students will have to submit a 1,000-1,200 word essay based on one of five challenging questions. Teachers will have to submit a classroom project on one of three themes. Award winners will be selected from across Canada and will be announced in fall 2014.

Quick Facts

• The creation of the Government of Canada History Awards was announced in June 2013.
• Entries must be submitted to Canada's History, which is responsible for administering the awards on behalf of the Government of Canada.
• The deadline for submissions is April 18, 2014.
• Selected teachers will each receive an award of $2,000, and selected students will each receive an award of $1,000.
• Two national winners will be selected from the winning students' essays.

Quotes
"Our government is proud to invite students and teachers from every corner of the country to take part in the new Government of Canada History Awards. This is a great opportunity for young Canadians to learn more about Canada's historic moments and to reward our teachers for sharing their passion for our history with students."
— Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages

"We are delighted to inspire greater passion and interest in exploring our history in our classrooms through these awards. There is no greater pleasure than learning through our children. These awards will not only reward students for their hard work in telling our stories, but they will also provide well-deserved recognition to the teachers who help them to get started."
— Deborah Morrison, CEO and President of Canada's History

Associated Links
Government of Canada History Awards
Canada 150
Canada's History

BACKGROUNDER

Government of Canada History Awards

Overview

The Government of Canada History Awards were created to honour outstanding students and teachers who show an interest in celebrating Canadian history. The Awards are administered by Canada's History, an independent national organization that has developed a strong educational network across the country. Winners of the first Government of Canada History Awards will be announced in fall 2014.

Evaluation Process for Awards for Teachers

Projects submitted by teachers will be evaluated by a judging panel guided by four main criteria: does it develop historical thinking skills; does it motivate student interest; is the activity creative and innovative; and is student work appropriately assessed. A shortlist from all participants will be selected by an independent panel of members representative of the education community. Winners will be selected by an independent panel of five judges. The judges' decision is final.

Evaluation Process for Awards for Students

Essays received from students will be evaluated by judging panels guided by five main criteria: relevance to the question posed; quality of research and sources; quality of writing; accuracy of information; and demonstrated critical and historical thinking skills applied. A shortlist from all participants will be selected by an independent panel of members from the education community. Winners will be selected by an independent panel of five judges. The judge's decision is final.

The 12 highest ranked essays in English and French will then be reviewed by the assessors separately to select two final essays, one in French and one in English. The winning students will receive a medal at the Governor General's History Awards presentation held in the fall.

Selection of Award Themes

The themes for both the teacher awards and the student essay questions were selected in consultation with an advisory council established by Canada's History. They are based on both relevance to curricula taught in grades 10 and 11 across the country and significant national anniversaries and commemorations in Canadian history.

SOURCE: Canadian Heritage