At a very special award ceremony held Wednesday, May 4, 2011, Julie Toskan Casale was awarded the first ever Premier’s Award for Philanthropy in Education by the Hon. Leona Dombrowsky, Minister of Education, Province of Ontario.
This award, a new category within the Premier’s Awards for Teaching Excellence, is in recognition of Julie’s philanthropic passion and dedication in the founding and development of the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI), and so perfectly acknowledges the academic as well as compassion building strength that Julie intended with the creation of YPI.
The Premier’s Awards for Teaching Excellence recognize educators and staff who excel at unlocking the potential of Ontario’s young people.
Among other criteria, award nominees are evaluated on their exceptional ability to:
- Encourage students and colleagues to explore new possibilities, take risks, and solve problems in a creative way.
- Help students connect to the world of work and partner with the community to find opportunities that expand students’ experiences into the world outside the school.
- Inspire students to be good citizens by teaching them the importance of social justice and encouraging them to think both locally and globally.
- Improve community life by linking students, parents and the community toward a common goal.
- Makes a profound and positive impact on students’ intellectual, social and emotional development and transforms their lives.
