Charles Bazilewich

Year: 2016 – Province: Manitoba

Certificate of Excellence Recipient

Charles Bazilewich

Sisler High School
1360 Redwood Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba  R3Y 0E4

Principal: George Heshka
School telephone: 204-589-8321
School email: sislerweb@wsd1.org
School website:http://www.sislerhigh.org / http://www.sislercyberacademy.org

Subjects and grades taught: Technology Education, grades 10 to 12

In only five years of teaching, Charles Bazilewich has identified and filled a significant need for high school courses in cybersecurity, and become a recognized expert among educators in the area of online safety and security.

Teaching approach

Mr. Bazilewich emphasizes critical thinking and real-world problem solving, and provides a welcoming, safe, supervised and ethical learning environment. To increase opportunities for employment and post-secondary success in cybersecurity, he encourages students to achieve industry certification, complete related courses and extracurricular activities, and get their high school diploma.

Outstanding achievements

  • Champions the teaching of high school cybersecurity courses; students have been recruited upon graduation by major corporations and been given advanced placement status in post-secondary courses in the field.
  • Qualified for 5 consecutive national technology skills competitions and international cybersecurity competitions, and was Instrumental in establishing CyberTitan—a high school cybersecurity education program with the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) to promote student awareness and engagement through cybersecurity initiatives across Canada.
  • Received provincial "academy" designation for his program to mark its leadership in a specialized field—unheard-of recognition for an academic high school program—and $300,000 from the province to set up a dedicated virtual cybersecurity learning centre.
  • Partners with industry to offer professional online training sessions and mentoring for students; introduces software used in business but almost never in high schools to provide learning opportunities now that will help students prepare for job opportunities later.
  • Increased enrolment in his courses from 90 students to 300 in just five years, including a growing number of girls.
  • Recognized by peers as a leader in the province in developing learning materials and curricula: for example, he was a key member of a team who designed a series of nine networking and cybersecurity courses for grades 9 to 12.

Rave reviews

"It is only at Sisler, and though Mr. Bazilewich, that I was able to gain the high levels of knowledge, experience and opportunities that I have."

Former student now employed in the cybersecurity industry

"To call him innovative is an understatement. He is a trailblazer. The field of cybersecurity, though critically important, has been completely ignored in Canada's high schools. Charles is changing that, not only here in his own school but in Manitoba and across Canada."

Principal