Nominate a teacher

The Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence

These awards honour outstanding and innovative elementary and secondary school teachers in all disciplines for their remarkable educational achievements and for their commitment to preparing youth for a digital and innovation‑based economy.

The Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence in STEM

These awards recognize inspirational Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teachers at the elementary or secondary school level who keep students engaged in STEM learning and who help develop the culture of innovation that Canada needs today, and in the future.

2024 Prime Minister's Awards Guidelines

How do I get started?

The nomination period for the 2024 Prime Minister's Awards is closed.

Nomination deadline

The nomination period for the 2024 Prime Minister's Awards is closed.

Who is eligible?

  • Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada
  • Certified teachers at an elementary or secondary school in Canada
  • Candidates who have taught the equivalent of 2.5 days per week in a classroom setting for at least three years

Here is the full list of eligibility criteria

What do recipients receive?

Recipients of the award receive the following:

  • A certificate from the Prime Minister
  • Promotion of their best teaching practices
  • National recognition for their contribution to teaching excellence and helping to prepare their students for success

How do I nominate a teacher?

Nominators need to submit a detailed nomination package that includes:

  • A completed and signed nomination form
  • A detailed nomination text that demonstrates how the teacher meets each of the five selection criteria
  • Three letters of support from individuals who are familiar with the nominee and the work they do as a successful teacher
  • Supporting documentation that confirms the teacher's eligibility
    • A copy of the nominee's teaching certificate
    • A statement of employment signed by the nominee's principal confirming that the nominee has worked at least 2.5 days per week in a classroom setting for a minimum of three years, and that their teaching certification remains in good standing.

What if I have a question?

If you have any questions or encounter any issues during the nomination process, please contact the Prime Ministers Awards by:

On this page


Awards

Teachers are eligible for two awards:

  • The national Certificate of Excellence
    • Recipients are traditionally invited to Ottawa to receive their award from the Prime Minister or his designate.
    • Recipients receive a certificate and letter of congratulations from the Prime Minister.
    • Each recipient's school also receives a certificate.
  • The regional Certificate of Achievement
    • Recipients are traditionally honoured locally at school events and receive their award from their Member of Parliament or local leader.
    • Recipients receive a certificate and letter of congratulations from the Prime Minister.
    • Each recipient's school also receives a certificate.

Each year, the Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence awards up to 10 Certificates of Excellence and up to 25 Certificates of Achievement.

The Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence in STEM awards up to 2 Certificates of Excellence and up to 15 Certificates of Achievement.

The achievements of all recipients are promoted both nationally and in the teachers' home communities. Certificate of Excellence recipients are profiled in individual videos describing their exemplary teaching practices and how they might be replicated by other educators. The videos will be used to dynamically share national recipients' stories with the education community and the media helping to promote their accomplishments. The videos will be posted on-line and shared on social media.

All PMA recipients are expected to conform to the program's Code of Conduct.

Eligibility Criteria

At the time of nomination, all nominees must meet the following criteria:

Nominees must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

Evidence: Nominees must sign the nomination form attesting that they are Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

Nominees must be certified to teach in a public or private school in a Canadian province/territory.

Evidence: A copy of the nominee's original teaching certificate must be provided.

A nominee's teaching certification must be in good standing with their provincial/territorial governing body.

Evidence: A statement of employment attesting that the teacher's certification is in good standing at the time of nomination is required.

Nominees must have taught youth (19 years of age and younger) in a school in Canada at the elementary or secondary level at least 2.5 days per week in a classroom setting for a minimum of three years and must still be teaching at the time of nomination.

Evidence: A statement of employment confirming a minimum of three years' employment in an elementary or secondary school at least 2.5 days per week is required. Separate statements of employment are required in cases where the teacher has worked in different schools over the three-year period.

Nominees must not be past Certificate of Excellence recipients.

Evidence: Certificate of Achievement recipients are not eligible to receive another Certificate of Achievement. Unsuccessful candidates are eligible for re-nomination.

Note: If the certification to teach is withdrawn between the time of nomination and the award presentation, the PMA program office reserves the right to withdraw the candidacy. If eligibility status of a nomination is compromised or changes, the nominator and/or nominee has the responsibility to inform the PMA program office in writing.

Who can Nominate

Nominators may be any person or group with direct knowledge of the nominee's contribution, such as:

  • Students
  • Parents of students
  • Colleagues
  • School principal or supervisor, etc.
  • Community leaders

The following are not acceptable nomination methods:

  • Self-nominations
  • Nominations from immediate family members.Footnote 1
  • Posthumous nominations

Selection Criteria

Award recipients are selected based on the excellence and innovation of their teaching practices and for their commitment to preparing their students for a digital and innovation-based economy. While a specific exemplary project or practice may form part of a nomination, nominees are judged on their overall and ongoing merits as teachers.

Applications for the Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence and for Teaching Excellence in STEM will be judged on the same selection criteria. Nominators for the STEM award must include specific examples on how the teacher displays excellence in STEM based teaching.

In selecting award recipients, the committee looks for clear evidence that nominees have excelled in all of the following five areas:

  1. Digital and Creative Literacy in the Classroom
  2. Innovative and Exemplary Teaching Practices
  3. Support Student Success and Skills Development
  4. Global Citizenship and Community Involvement
  5. Commitment and Leadership

How do I prepare a nomination package?

Once you determine the teacher meets the eligibility criteria above, you can start preparing the nomination package. A nomination package consists of five requirements; a nomination form, a nomination text, three letters of support, a teaching certificate and a statement of employment from the principal.

You can nominate an individual teacher or a group of up to three teachers who work together. Each member of a team must meet the eligibility requirements described above.

Documents submitted with the nomination beyond the five requirements below will not be included for the evaluation of the nomination.

1. Nomination Form

Please complete one nomination form for each nominee. The form must be signed and dated by both the nominator and the nominated teacher. If you are having trouble downloading the nomination form, you can use the PDF print only nomination form or email us at primeministersawards-prixdupremierministre@ised-isde.gc.ca and we will send you the form by email.

For team nominations, a nomination form must be completed for each member of the team.

You need to:

  1. Use your computer. The forms may not open on mobile devices (iPads, tablets, mobile phones).
  2. Make sure you have Adobe Reader 10 (or higher) already installed on your computer. If not, download Adobe Reader 10 for free. Adobe has help for solving common issues.
  3. You must save the file on your computer in a place you can remember.
  4. Open the file on your computer using Adobe Reader 10 (or higher).

Signing the nomination form for an online submission

The nominator and nominee are required to sign the nomination form prior to submission. To be able to sign the form once downloaded onto your desktop:

  1. Complete the nomination form with Adobe Reader® 10 (or a more recent version);
  2. Print the nomination form;
  3. The nominator and nominee sign the form;
  4. Scan the signed nomination form;
  5. Attach the signed form to the electronic PDF form by selecting the Add Attachments feature.

2. Nomination Text

An effective nomination package should clearly illustrate the outstanding achievements of the nominee and clearly explain why the individual should receive one of Canada's highest honours in teaching.

For a team nomination, the nomination text should reflect a true collaboration, not simply a collection of individual accomplishments. The nomination text should describe how the team worked together to meet each of the selection criteria.

Download the Nomination text template (PDF, 100 KB) for formatting guidelines and suggestions.

Nominators should:

  • Organize their text using each selection criterion as a separate heading;
  • Describe special projects, philosophies, unique learning environments, extracurricular activities, or special achievements that make this nominee excel;
  • Provide details of examples not only statements such as  “creates project based learning” or “ uses mindfulness strategies” or “creates a safe space” and not simply on one particular project;
  • Include how the teachers lessons leads to student success;
  • An original title can make your nomination stand out among the others;
  • Incorporate relevant photos to enhance your nomination text;
  • Include quotations from students, colleagues, parents, principal and/or the nominee themselves directly within the text;
  • Use the word count to your advantage;
  • Ensure that your text is double-spaced; 
  • Include the name of your nominee on the first page of the nomination text (Last name, First name); and
  • Don't forget your page numbers!

Selection Criteria:

Introduction

(Maximum 350 words)

An effective introduction should be compelling and arouse the interest of the reader.

Digital and Creative Literacy in the Classroom

(Maximum 1,000 words)

Describe and provide concrete examples of how the teacher uses digital technologies in the classroom to foster creativity and improve student learning and outcomes.

Nomination writing tips

You may choose to explain how the teacher:

  • provides opportunities for all students to be actively engaged in hands-on learning, using a variety of technologies (e.g. Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), computer coding, engaging girls in STEM)
  • develops and uses collaborative learning materials, resources and multimedia (text, graphics, animation, music, and video)
  • educates students about digital literacy, privacy, cyber bullying and the safe and ethical use of the Internet
  • helps students in remote communities access quality learning materials and provides them with equal opportunities for success through the use of a variety of technologies and resources

Note: Where examples of using digital tools are not available due to challenges relating to accessing these resources, please provide context explaining how the educator works to instill knowledge of digital literacy despite these obstacles.-

Innovative and Exemplary Teaching Practices

(Maximum 1,000 words)

Describe and provide concrete examples of the innovative and exemplary teaching practices that are replicable and best show the teacher's contribution to his or her students' learning.

Nomination writing tips

You may choose to explain how the teacher:

  • provides a stimulating and engaging learning environment for students of all levels or abilities
  • implements creative and innovative teaching approaches
  • encourages cooperative learning in the classroom
  • integrates education subjects across other disciplines (e.g. interdisciplinary/cross-curricular teaching)
Support Student Success and Skills Development

(Maximum 1,000 words)

Describe and provide concrete examples of how the teacher engages students in diverse learning opportunities to support their academic and personal growth.

Nomination writing tips

You may choose to explain how the teacher:

  • helps students develop higher level thinking skills (such as problem solving, creativity, innovation)
  • encourages students to show leadership and take initiative
  • encourages high attendance rates and strong student participation in extracurricular activities
  • fosters student success in provincial/territorial, district, school board examinations or in-class assessments and activities
  • supports student emotional development, mental health, social awareness and sense of responsibility
Global Citizenship and Community Involvement

(Maximum 1,000 words)

Describe and provide concrete examples of how the teacher encourages students to become global citizens, and involves parents, families and the community in students' education and learning.

Nomination writing tips

You may choose to explain how the teacher:

  • encourages students to critically consider real-world issues (such as climate change, human rights, gender equality, cultural diversity, inclusivity, etc.) and identify possible solutions through collaboration and innovation
  • encourages the sharing of family traditions and cultural identity (e.g. Indigenous arts and culture)
  • fosters community contacts or business-education partnerships that complement student learning
Commitment and Leadership

(Maximum 1,000 words)

Describe and provide concrete examples of how the teacher demonstrates a passion for teaching and leadership in the classroom.

Nomination writing tips

You may choose to explain how the teacher:

  • demonstrates exceptional commitment and leadership despite challenges in the classroom (e.g. working with at-risk youth, or in remote communities)
  • collaborates with fellow educators to allow students to engage in learning opportunities across subject matters
  • organizes, facilitates or delivers professional development courses, workshops or other educational activities
  • acts as a mentor and role model for students, new teachers and other educators
  • encourages a model of life-long learning
Conclusion

(Maximum 350 words)

An effective conclusion should summarize your nominee's overall achievements. Consider it as a final opportunity to convince the reader that your nominee deserves Canada's highest honour. The nominator should include their name after the conclusion.

3. Letters of Support

Three letters must be provided with each nomination, and must be dated and signed by the author. The letters should demonstrate a nominee's positive impact on students and provide evidence of the nominee's excellence and achievements under any or all of the five selection criteria.

A team nomination requires three letters of support for the nomination, not each member of the team. Letters of support should endorse the accomplishments of all team members.

Letters of support must meet the following requirements:

  • Letters must be written by individuals with direct knowledge for the nominee's accomplishments, for example:
    • Students
    • Parents of students
    • Peers
    • Representatives from professional associations
    • Community leaders, etc.;
  • Letters of support cannot be written by the nominator;
  • One letter of support must come from the school principal unless the principal is the nominator. If the principal is the nominator, the three letters of support can be written by individuals with direct knowledge of the nominee’s accomplishments;
  • Letters should not exceed two pages each;
  • Each letter must be dated, signed and issued no earlier than six months prior to the nomination deadline;
  • Each letter must include contact information for the author (email and/or telephone);
  • If more than three letters are received only three will be selected for evaluation; and
  • Letters cannot come from a nominee's immediate family member.Footnote 1

Download the letters of support template (PDF, 68 KB) for formatting guidelines and suggestions.

4. Teaching Certificate

A copy of the nominee's original teaching certificate must be provided.

For a team nomination a copy of each nominee's teaching certificate is required.

5. Statement of Employment

Provide a statement of employment from the nominee's principal confirming that the nominee has worked at least 2.5 days per week in a classroom setting for a minimum of three years, is still teaching and that their teaching certification remains in good standing.

Separate statements of employment are required in cases where the teacher has worked in different schools over the three-year period. The statement of employment must be a separate document from the letters of support or the nomination text.

For a team nomination, a statement of employment for each nominee is required.

Download the statement of employment template (PDF, 118 KB) for formatting guidelines and suggestions.

Submitting Nominations

Completed nomination packages can be sent on-line, by email or by regular mail:

Submitting on-line

Before submitting your nomination on-line, please ensure to:

  • Download the nomination form and save it to your computer
  • Complete all required sections of the nomination form
  • Print the nomination form for the nominee and nominator to sign and date
  • Ensure you have included all required attachments by selecting the Add Attachments feature in one of the following file formats: .pdf, .doc, .docx, .rtf, .txt, .jpg, .jpeg, .tiff, .tif, .xps
  • Click the Submit button at the bottom on the nomination form

After submitting the nomination, you will receive a confirmation email.

Submitting by email

Email submissions must be sent to primeministersawards-prixdupremierministre@ised-isde.gc.ca by the deadline date in one of the following file formats: .pdf, .doc, .docx, .rtf, .txt, .jpg, .jpeg, .tiff, .tif, .xps.

The total file size cannot exceed 20MB. After submitting the nomination, you will receive a confirmation email.

Submitting by mail

If you chose to submit a nomination by mail, make sure your package is postmarked by the deadline date and sent to the following address:

Prime Minister's Awards
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
C.D. Howe Building
235 Queen Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H5

Regardless of how you submit your nomination you will receive an email confirmation that your nomination was received. If you do not receive confirmation within 48 hours please contact us by telephone at 1-800-328-6189 or by email at primeministersawards-prixdupremierministre@ised-isde.gc.ca.

Selection Process

Prime Minister's Award (PMA) recipients are selected via a rigorous two-tier process that involves volunteers from major education stakeholders across Canada, including teachers' federations, parent-teacher associations, post-secondary institutions, and provincial and territorial education ministries.

The program has recruited over 100 volunteer representatives from various education stakeholders, including provincial and territorial officials. This large number is required as each nomination package is reviewed by up to four regional evaluators. After an initial screening for basic eligibility, copies of the nomination text and letters of support are sent to our regional evaluators for review. The regional evaluators look for clear evidence that nominees have excelled in all of the following five areas:

  1. Digital and Creative Literacy in the Classroom
  2. Innovative and Exemplary Teaching Practices
  3. Support Student Success and Skills Development
  4. Global Citizenship and Community Involvement
  5. Commitment and Leadership

Applications for the Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence and for Teaching Excellence in STEM are judged on the same selection criteria. Nomination packages are evaluated and ranked based on how well each nominee meets the selection criteria for the awards.

The program also has a National Advisory Committee (NAC) comprised of national level education organizations. NAC provides an oversight and advisory function. After being reviewed by the committee, a final list of the top-ranked candidates is recommended to the Minister who informs the Prime Minister. Up to 35 awards (10 Excellence, 25 Achievement) are offered for Teaching Excellence and up to 17 awards (2 Excellence, 15 Achievement) for Teaching Excellence in STEM.

Based on the number of nominations received and provided standards of excellence are met, the PMA aims 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 committee members.

Contact Us

Please contact the PMA program office by:

Phone ISED Citizen Services Centre:
Telephone (toll-free in Canada): 1-800-328-6189
Telephone (Ottawa): 613-954-5031
TTY (for hearing-impaired): 1-866-694-8389
Business hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Email: primeministersawards-prixdupremierministre@ised-isde.gc.ca

Mail:
Prime Minister's Awards
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
C.D. Howe Building
235 Queen Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H5

Acknowledgments

ISED and Indigenous Services Canada, as partners in the Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence, gratefully acknowledge the volunteer contributions of numerous education organizations across Canada who take part in the award selection process. The program could not function without the participation of these volunteers.