Prime Minister's Award (PMA) recipients are selected by a two-tier process that involves volunteers from education and early childhood education stakeholders across Canada, including teachers' federations, parent-teacher associations, post-secondary institutions, school boards and early childhood education associations.
After an initial screening for basic eligibility, copies of the nomination text and letters of support are sent to multiple regional evaluators for review. They evaluate and rank nomination packages based on how well each nominee meets the selection criteria for the awards. Teachers are judged on five areas:
- digital and creative literacy in the classroom,
- innovative and exemplary teaching practices,
- support of student success and skills development,
- global citizenship and community involvement, and
- commitment and leadership.
Early childhood educators are judged on four areas:
- support of child development,
- innovation,
- involvement with parents, families and the community, and
- commitment and leadership in the field.
Our program partners provide an oversight and advisory function. After review by the committees, a final list of the top-ranked candidates is recommended to the Minister who informs the Prime Minister. The number of awards available are as follows:
- Teaching Excellence: up to 35 awards (10 Excellence, 25 Achievement)
- Teaching Excellence in STEM: up to 17 awards (2 Excellence, 15 Achievement)
- Excellence in Early Childhood Education: up to 15 awards (5 Excellence, 10 Achievement)
Based on the number of nominations received and provided they meet standards of excellence, the PMA aims to have an annual cohort of recipients that reflect the diversity of the country with appropriate gender, Indigenous, visible minority, and geographic representation.
Regional evaluators and National Advisory Committee members are all volunteers who give their valuable time and expertise at no cost to the program. The PMA program could not function without the generous support of our volunteer evaluators and partners.
Teaching Excellence and Teaching Excellence in STEM program partners
The PMAs for Teaching Excellence and for Teaching Excellence in STEM are administered by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on behalf of the Prime Minister in partnership with Indigenous Services Canada. The National Advisory Committee members are:
- Canadian Association of Principals
- Canadian Education Association
- Canadian Home and School Federation
- Canadian School Boards Association
- Canadian Teachers' Federation
- Fédération nationale des conseils scolaires francophones
- Indigenous Services Canada
- Ingenium — Canada's Museums of Science and Innovation
- MediaSmarts
- The Conference Board of Canada
Early Childhood Education program partners
The PMAs for Excellence in Early Childhood Education is supported by the Department of Employment and Social Development Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada and Indigenous Services Canada.
Employment and Social Development Canada recognizes the critical role that well trained and professional early childhood educators play in providing quality early childhood education and care programs and services. Employment and Social Development Canada is pleased to partner with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and Indigenous Services Canada in the administration of this prestigious award.
Regional evaluator organizations
The program has recruited over 100 volunteer regional evaluators from teachers' federations, parent-teacher associations, post-secondary institutions, various early childhood education stakeholders and provincial and territorial officials.
Learning institutions
- Algonquin College
- Brock University
- Cambrian College
- Concordia University
- Holland College
- Laurentian University
- New Brunswick Community College
- Niagara University
- Nipissing University
- Northern College
- Northern Lights College
- Nova Scotia Community College
- Queen's University
- University of Alberta
- University of British Columbia
- University of New Brunswick
- University of Ottawa
- Université du Québec à Montréal
- Université de Saint-Boniface
- York University
National, Provincial and Territorial Organizations
National
- Canadian Association for Young Children
- Indigenous Services Canada
Alberta
- Alberta Ministry of Children and Family Services
- BriarPatch Community Preschool
- Calgary Catholic School District
- Calgary French & International School
- Grande Prairie Public School Division
- Ignite Centre for eLearning
- Intercultural Child and Family Centre
- Lakeland Catholic School Division
- Lloydminster Public School Division
- Palliser School Division
- Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools
- Red Deer Public Schools
British Columbia
- Abbotsford School District
- Archway Community Services
- Campbell River School District
- Canadian Parents for French – BC & Yukon
- Central Okanagan Public Schools
- Fraser Cascade School District
- Greater Victoria School District
- Huckleberry Daycare, UBC Childcare Services
- Kamloops United Church Pre-School & Out of School Care
- Lexie's Little Bears Day Care
- New Westminster School District
- Richmond School District
- Science World
- Surfrider
- Urban Academy
- Vancouver School Board
- West Vancouver Schools
Manitoba
- Inspired by Wonder Inc.
- Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning
- Manitoba School Boards Association
- Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute
- Pine Creek School Division
- Portage Ukrainian Nursery School
- YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg
New Brunswick
- Anglophone East School District
- Centre de Jour l'Éveil
- New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
- New Brunswick Teachers' Association
Newfoundland and Labrador
- Association of Early Childhood Education of Newfoundland and Labrador
- Astros Early Learning Centre
- NLSchools
- Sustainability Frontiers
Northwest Territories
- Beaufort Delta Divisional Education Council
Nova Scotia
- Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education
- Halifax Region Centre for Education
- Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
- Nova Scotia Teachers Union
Ontario
- Ashbury College
- Charlotte Birchard Centres of Early Learning
- Crescent School
- District School Board of Niagara
- Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
- Durham District School Board
- Greater Essex County District School Board
- Halton District School Board
- Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board
- Humber Child Development Centre
- Isabella Walton Childcare Centre
- Lakehead District School Board
- MediaSmarts
- Near North District School Board
- Ottawa Catholic School Board
- Peel District School Board
- Science Teachers Association of Ontario
- Superior-Greenstone District School Board
- Thames Valley District School Board
- Toronto Catholic District School Board
- Toronto District School Board
- University of Toronto Schools
- Waterloo Catholic District School Board
- YWCA Hamilton
- York Region District School Board
Prince Edward Island
- Kathleen Flanagan & Associates Inc.
- Public Schools Branch
Québec
- Association québécoise des enseignantes et des enseignants du primaire
- C.P.E. Les P'tits Profs
- English Montreal School Board
- Lester B. Pearson School Board
- McGill Childcare Centre
- Quebec English School Boards Association
Saskatchewan
- Farzana Day Care
- Good Spirit School Division
- North East School Division
- Regina Catholic Schools
- Saskatchewan School Boards Association
- Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation
- Wishes & Wonder Child Care
Yukon
- Yukon Department of Education