SUN WEST SCHOOL DIVISION NO. 207
Sun West Teacher Selected For Inaugural Inclusion Award

Kristin Boyd, the Student Support Teacher (SST) at the Sun West Distance Learning Centre (DLC), was recently selected as the inaugural recipient of the Dr. John Dolan Spirit of Inclusion Award by Inclusion Saskatchewan.

Inclusion Saskatchewan is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and advocating for individuals with intellectual disabilities. It was founded by Dr. John Dolan in Saskatoon in 1963. Today, it directly supports over 2900 individuals and families and impacts thousands more through its various programs that include advocacy, employment support, education and transition support, public education, youth programming, self-advocacy and social activities, family network and workshops and the Valley View Centre transition. Each year it gives out a number of awards to recognize individuals, groups and institutions that are making outstanding contributions in the area of inclusion. Click here for more information on Inclusion Saskatchewan.

Ms. Boyd was nominated for Inclusion Awards by one of the DLC families that she works with. She was recognized because she demonstrated innovation, student-centered approaches and dedication to the core value of inclusive education. Her work demonstrated that she understands that inclusive education looks different for each student and in each school. Her work is aligned with Inclusive Education Canada's framework of goals.

Ms. Boyd stated: "I incorporate principles of inclusion into my teaching practice as an SST, I would say that advocating for student needs and working alongside classroom teachers and Educational Assistants to create innovative opportunities for students to be successful are my passion areas. Being willing to listen to, learn from and persist on behalf of the wonderful families that I work with is also an important part of keeping inclusion at the forefront of my teaching practice."

"Being selected as the inaugural winner of the Dr. John Dolan Spirit of Inclusion award is a tremendous honour," she stated, "I feel incredibly blessed to work for an inspiring supervisor, to be able to collaborate with an amazing group of colleagues in Student Support and alongside incredibly resilient students and families".

Picture above features Kristin Boyd receiving the Dr. John Dolan Spirit of Inclusion Award at the Annual Inclusion Gala at the Travelodge on June 3. (Left to right: Kara Bernardin, Sam Bernardin, Kristin Boyd, Inclusion Saskatchewan Self-Advocate Director-at-Large Tina Millar and Inclusion Saskatchewan Director-at-Large and Chair of the Inclusive Education Committee Nytosha Kober.