Cam Aitken (Nominated by SD 61, Victoria)

Cam Aitken has been a long-time supporter of Esquimalt youth in SD 61 through running breakfast programs, coordinating food hampers, and building relationships with youth. He previously worked for Victoria West Community Association and is currently working for The Community, under Youth for Christ Victoria, an organization whose aim is to provide practical support and opportunities for safe, fun youth activities for the 1,300 youth in Esquimalt.

“I am pleased to accept this award for partnering with and serving schools and students in Esquimalt. It is an honour for me personally and the recognition must be shared with many volunteers as well as my past and current employers that are so supportive of students and schools: Harbourview Church, Victoria West Community Association, and Youth for Christ Victoria. Serving schools is a huge part of each of those organization's mandates and it has been a joy to be a part of that. I'd like to thank the individuals, community groups, grants, and churches that have supported our programs for students in Esquimalt over the past decade. A special thanks to Brandon "Chef" Aris and the Esquimalt High School Culinary Arts Program for making delicious food for our daily breakfast program. Most of all, I would like to thank the youth of Esquimalt. It has been an adventure and an absolute blast knowing you and serving you.”

Legacy Church of the Nazarene (Nominated by SD 36, Surrey)

Legacy Church of the Nazarene is a church community in SD 36 that has long been supporting Bridgeview Elementary and the larger community – even through COVID-19 – through food banks and hampers, school-wide field trips and events, provision of school supplies, and afterschool activities and tutoring.   

“It truly has been our pleasure working with Bridgeview Elementary School. The teachers and staff are amazing and exhibit great leadership which, in turn, is evident in the students. It is a privilege to go into that school setting and see these leadership skills in action recognizing the gift that is given to these students everyday to prepare them for anything in life. We look at our relationship with the school as a helping hand to what is already being done. We hope that any way we contribute will make the jobs of the staff a bit easier.”
– Mary-Jane Holmquist, Community Liaison

Nanaimo Foodshare (Nominated by SD 68, Nanaimo Ladysmith)

Nanaimo Foodshare has been partnering with Nanaimo-Ladysmith schools through many programs in order to help to increase food literacy and access, and to build capacity for student academic success. Since they were first established in 1997, their programs, such as the Good Food Box and Kids Get Cooking, support both students and educators to address hunger in the community, share resources and build community capacity to provide healthy foods to everyone.   

“On behalf of Nanaimo Foodshare, I wish to thank the BCPVPA for this award. By supporting local schools, Foodshare sees an opportunity to create change in the community by supporting students' access to healthy food and learning about the joy of growing, cooking, and eating good food. Foodshare is passionate about how food is connected to student success because of the role healthy foods have in fueling students’ concentration and ability to learn. Food also allows students to thrive in learning that applies academic learning to active learning they can bring home. We hope that in our partnership with schools we can support students for their lifetime... to grow with the skills and knowledge that they will use to eat well and become the next generation of farmers, gardeners, cooks, parents, (whatever they choose) that love healthy food and love the environment that provides it.”
– Jen Cody, Executive Director

Sarah Bendall (Nominated by SD 23, Central Okanagan)  

As PAC president for the last four years at the École Glenmore Elementary, Sarah Bendall has organized many school wide activities and fundraisers to support the school community. As well, she spearheaded initiatives at the school to improve its safety and accessibility, create outdoor learning spaces and engage the students in various STEM and coding activities. Sarah is an exemplary PAC President who works alongside the school community to make learning fun, challenging and above and beyond what is expected.   

“I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Ecole Glenmore Elementary students, teachers, administration, and parents as a volunteer. Being able to bring my passion for STEM education to the school, working in the classrooms, organizing STEM events, and lunchtime coding clubs, has been a tremendous experience. I have also been fortunate to be PAC president for the past 4 years and to work with the school to enhance the community through school wide events and facility upgrades including building an outdoor classroom and spearheading playground upgrades. I am extremely grateful to our past principal, Wendy Briggs, who not only allowed me to spread my volunteer wings, but also for putting in the time to nominate me for this award. She met my passion head-on with enthusiasm and support. I look forward to continuing to volunteer with GME as a STEM educator although my time as PAC president has come to an end (middle school here we come!).”
– Sarah Bendall

Story Studio Writing Society (Nominated by SD 61, Victoria)

Story Studio Writing Society aims to bring literacy and creativity into children’s lives by giving them the tools to tell their own stories. Each year, they collaborate with 20-30 teachers, mainly in SD 61, to deliver workshops and help their students to write over 1500 youth-authored books. In addition, they partner with other school-related community organizations and have created a range of resources for teachers to use in their own classrooms.  

“Story Studio is deeply honoured to receive this award. It is particularly meaningful for us as we have worked so closely with public schools for over a decade to help inspire, educate, and empower young writers in the classrooms. Every one of our visits has been a true partnership between school administrators, classroom teachers, workshop facilitators and the students – and that combination has made our program so impactful for almost 10,000 youth. We look forward to many more years of collaborative projects with schools!”
– Sean Rodman, Executive Director

Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees (Nominated by SD 63, Saanich)

Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees (VICCIR) was founded in 2015 in response to the growing needs of the immigrant and refugee community in SD 63 and has been an ongoing partner with Saanich schools ever since. VICCIR has helped families and students to work through trauma and create a sense of belonging in their new community, country, and culture through face-to-face and virtual counselling, adolescent male groups, and parenting sessions in a multitude of languages.  

“On behalf of everyone at the Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees (VICCIR), we want to thank everyone involved in selecting us for the 2021 BC Principals’ & Vice-Principals’ Association Partnership Award. We are honoured to be chosen and value the partnerships we have established with numerous schools and school staff over the years. The close relationships with teachers, counsellors and other staff have enabled us to provide mental health support for students and their families at a time when it is most needed. We are united in wanting the best for these students and are grateful for the opportunity to offer our services when they need our support. We have also appreciated the many opportunities to meet with groups of school staff and share our expertise and insights in the area of refugee and immigrant mental health. Thank you for recognizing our organization in this way.”
– Adrienne Carter, Director of Services