Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the title of our strategic plan is Northerners Working Together. This reminds us of an important point, that it requires the effort of all Northerners to help us achieve success on the goals of this Assembly. In acknowledgement of the contributions our residents make towards our goal of healthy, educated people, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is now accepting nominations for inductions into the Education Hall of Fame this year. This is a great opportunity to give recognition to Northerners dedicated to education in the Northwest Territories. This includes anyone who supports education, from teachers to coaches, custodians, volunteers and community businesses and also sponsors.
This is the second year the Education Hall of Fame has been in place and the recipient format has changed slightly. The new format sees one inductee from each region in the Territory and a Minister’s Choice nomination. This year there will be a total of seven inductees, Mr. Speaker.
Accepting one inductee per region respects regional contributions and is more inclusive. It also gives local leaders and organizations the opportunity to become more involved in the education of their community, as we have heard through our Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative that they would like to be.
The department is accepting nominations up to Thursday, March 31, 2011. Electronic nomination forms are available on the department’s website and at regional Education, Culture and Employment service centres and district education council offices. I hope Members will take the opportunity to nominate a deserving person from their region and encourage others to do the same as well.
Mr. Speaker, successful nominees will be announced in April and will be invited to a ceremony and luncheon scheduled for Tuesday, May 17th, at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. Inductees will receive a plaque commemorating their achievement and a gift certificate from our sponsor First Air, who we thank for this continued participation.
I look forward to announcing this year’s inductees to the Education Hall of Fame and recognizing their contributions to education in the Northwest Territories. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
