A teacher committed to helping young people discover the joy of learning thanks to rallying projects

While the mysterious Mademoiselle C. became known to the world thanks to children’s literature and the movies, it was Arthur-Pigeon high school in Huntington that enabled its students to discover the just as exceptional Miss B. And Miss B. is none other than Lori Belair, an English and Spanish teacher with a heart as big as the universe. Enthusiastically committed at her school and in the community, her main goal in life is to see young people’s eyes light up when they learn something new.

A teacher committed to making nature a tool for helping young people to surpass themselves

While textbooks can provide a certain amount of knowledge, nature can also most certainly be a sound pedagogical tool. But in order to use this tool, it is necessary to know how to listen to nature and interpret it, something Simon Faucher, an outdoors activities and physical education teacher at Mont-Saint-Sacrement high school, quickly learned to do. Today he is committed to sharing his love of nature with his students with the goal of enabling them to discover their true selves and their potential. Thanks to expeditions and volunteer work, young people are able to learn all about mutual aid, group dynamics, sharing, respect and how to be heedful of others.

A teacher committed to using music to enrich the personal development of her students

“It’s as if I were a race car and young people were my fuel!” This is the metaphor Sonia Savignac, the energetic and colourful music teacher at Jean-du-Nord high school in Sept-Îles, uses to describe the motivation behind her work in education. And to make optimal use of this fuel, she passes on her passion for music through projects that are each as stimulating as the next for young people. School bands, a music peer support group, competitions at Disney, New York, Toronto, Montréal, nothing is too great a challenge when it comes to helping students to surpass themselves and discover who they truly are.

A teacher committed to creating zany projects so as to give young people a taste for school

“I’m the instigator of wild and crazy ideas and I like it when my colleagues get involved in my projects. And everything we do, we do so to simply create something that will stimulate our students.” For Louis Boucher, a geography and history teacher at Collège Saint-Sacrement in Terrebonne, getting involved with his students is one of the positive sides to the teaching profession. No matter what zany idea he comes up with – such as the red classes project, the thematic weeks and school sports events – he makes sure that he puts the interests of his students at the heart of his actions.

A teacher committed to organizing annual concerts to help young people believe in themselves

“So that what young people are taught at school has a stronger and more lasting effect, they must be encouraged to be part of the action,” says Michèle Monette. And to create action, the drama teacher at Saint-Stanislas high school in Saint-Jérôme sets up a multitude of activities and projects. Whether its organizing the major annual variety show, planning school trips or coordinating the Roi et Reine contest, what Michèle Monette strives to do is draw young people out of their comfort zone, and encourage them to surpass themselves and believe in themselves.

A professional committed to a football program to curb school drop out among male students

Denis Castonguay is one of those people who are always on the lookout for solutions to a problem. Concerned about school drop out, mainly among boys, the vice-principal of Secondary 5 and director of student life at Roger-Comptois high school came up with the ingenious idea of setting up a football program to tackle the problem. Five years later, it is obvious that the initiative has accomplished its purpose as statistics show that the program has improved the success rate of male students while providing the school with two provincial championships in 2009.

A teacher committed to setting up projects that enable his students to discover their true passions

“Harold Boivin is simply a sincere and good man, a man who spares no effort and, above all, for whom the success and happiness of his students are at the heart of his concerns.” It was in these very laudatory terms that Mireille Brousseau, counsellor in spiritual life and community involvement at Saint-Anselme high school, described her colleague. And when you look at all the various activities the French teacher is involved in, it comes as no surprise. Theatrical productions, the Gala Méritas, trips to New York, cultural outings, sports events, Harold Boivin is involved in everything and, if something doesn’t exist, he creates it.

A teacher committed to helping young people enjoy school more thanks to his project “Mon job…c’est l’école”

It’s never too late to do the right thing and this is what Érik Charron proved when, at the age of 35, he decided to go back to school to become a high school mathematics teacher. And he did so in a desire to fulfil a career ambition, to share his experience of perseverance and to help students understand the importance of making the right choices in life. He now teaches at Mgr-A.-M.-Parent high school and has set himself apart through motivating projects such as “Mon job… c’est l’école,” his creativity, his dynamism and, more importantly, his positive impact on young people.

A teacher committed to helping shape young people who will have an impact on their world

When he was only young, Raymond Lafrance already possessed a great deal of imagination, resourcefulness and entrepreneurship. Avid for new experiences, he was always on the lookout for opportunities that would enable him to grow. Today, after working 20 years in the field of education, the teacher at the Polyvalente Saint-Jérôme strives to pass on to his students the desire to always go one step further. Be it through the Ma terre, mes frères project, his talks on the Holocaust, his entrepreneurship courses or the organization of school trips, he still devotes just as much energy to everything he undertakes.

A teacher committed to focusing on young people’s artistic talents to help them flourish

Born into a family of teachers, Marc-André Perron knew as early as elementary school that he’d keep the family tradition alive. Today, the 26-year-old teacher at Saint-Pierre and Des Sentiers high school in Québec City is already recognized for his dynamism, commitment and determination to push young people to continually strive to surpass themselves. He supervises the two theatre troupes at his school, is the founder of Les Pijorats theatre company and the co-organizer of an international cooperation project in Guatemala, and his goal is to help students understand that through effort and hard work, they can achieve anything.

A teacher committed to setting up a cooperative so as to offer his students a genuine work experience

A professional committed to helping young people discover who they truly are thanks to weekend retre